179 – Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: “I asked Bilal, ‘How did you see the Prophet ﷺ respond to them when they greeted him while he was praying?’ He replied, ‘He would do like this,’ and he spread out his hand.” Reported by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi, who declared it sahih. (1)

Degree of authenticity
The hadith is sahih (sound). Al-Tirmidhi authenticated it; it is also transmitted by Ahmad (23369) and Ibn Majah (1017). Al-Shawkani said: “Its transmitters are those employed in the authentic collections.” Al-Saʿati stated in Bulugh al-Amani: “The hadith’s transmitters are of the grade required for authentication.”

Vocabulary
• kayfa: an invariable noun that can function either as a conditional particle or an interrogative; here it serves the interrogative sense.
• yaqulu hakadha (“he says: ‘like this’”): although qawl (“speech”) literally refers to words uttered by the tongue, it is also used figuratively for action. Muhit al-Muhit notes that qawl can be employed metaphorically for beings who do not speak.
• basata kaffahu: he spread or opened his palm, the opposite of closing it.
• kaff (palm): the inner part of the hand together with the fingers; it is feminine. Its plurals are kufuf and akuff.

Lessons drawn from the hadith
1 – Background of the report: The Prophet ﷺ went out to Quba to pray there. The inhabitants of Quba from among the Ansar came to greet him and found him in prayer. Whenever they offered salam, he would return their greeting by spreading out his palm, indicating his response.