was narrated by Abu Dawud and others: When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was travelling and wished to offer a voluntary prayer, he would turn his she-camel toward the qiblah, pronounce the takbir, and then pray in whichever direction his mount took him. (1)
They said: This proves that one must begin the prayer facing the qiblah, because the Prophet’s taking the trouble to stop the camel, turn it toward the qiblah, and interrupt his journey indicates that this was obligatory. (2)
Some scholars said that it is not obligatory. (509) They answered this hadith in two ways:
First: Its authenticity is not of that level; the most that has been said concerning it is that it is sound.
Second: It describes an action, and an action in itself does not indicate obligation. The hadith of Ibn Umar and other hadiths are general in wording: “He would pray in whichever direction he was facing.” (3) Their apparent meaning is that this applied from the beginning of the prayer to its end.
(1) Reported by Ahmad, 3:203; Abu Dawud, Book of Prayer, chapter on voluntary prayer while riding and Witr, no. 1225; al-Tabarani in al-Awsat, no. 2557; al-Daraqutni, 1:395; and al-Bayhaqi, 2:5, through chains from Rubai ibn Abd Allah ibn al-Jarud, from Amr ibn Abi al-Hajjaj, from al-Jarud ibn Abi Sabrah, from Anas.
Al-Tabarani said: “It is not narrated from al-Jarud except through this chain; Rubai alone narrated it.” Ibn Kathir said: “Its chain is unusual.” Irshad al-Faqih, 1:116.
I say: Regarding this Rubai, Ibn Main said, “Acceptable”; Abu Hatim said, “Acceptable in hadith”; and al-Dhahabi and Ibn Hajar described him as trustworthy. See: Tahdhib al-Kamal, 9:57.
Ibn al-Sakan authenticated the hadith, and al-Mundhiri graded it hasan (sound) in Mukhtasar al-Sunan, no. 1179. Ibn al-Mulaqqin said: “Abu Dawud narrated it with an authentic chain.” Khulasat al-Badr al-Munir, 1:110. Ibn Hajar said: “Its chain is hasan (sound).” Bulugh al-Maram, no. 214. And Allah knows best.
(2) See: al-Mughni, 2:98; al-Insaf, 3:327.
(3) Its sourcing was given above, p. 257.