and he said: Ibn Abī Dāwūd told us, “This Abū Ghatfān is a narrator whose status is unknown (1). What is authentically reported from the Prophet ﷺ is that he would gesture during prayer; this was narrated by Anas, Jābir, and others.” And Allah knows best.
He ﷺ would pray with ‘Ā’ishah lying crosswise between him and the direction he faced in prayer. When he prostrated, he would nudge her with his hand, and she would draw in her legs; when (2) he stood up, she would stretch them out again (3).
He ﷺ was praying when Satan came to interrupt his prayer. He seized him and strangled him until his saliva ran onto his hand (4).
He would pray on the pulpit and bow there. When it was time to prostrate, he would descend backward, prostrate on the ground, and then ascend again (5).
He was praying facing a wall when a young animal came to pass in front of him (6), so he kept warding it off
(1) Manuscript ج contains the following marginal note: “Al-Dhahabī mentioned in his Mīzān [4:561] Abū Ghatfān, who narrated from Abū Hurayra, and al-Dāraqutnī’s statement that he was unknown. He then challenged this assessment, noting that he was apparently Abū Ghatfān ibn Tarīf al-Murrī, who was not unknown: more than one scholar declared him trustworthy.” End of quotation.
(2) ك, ع: “wa-idhā (and when).”
(3) Reported by al-Bukhārī (382) and Muslim (512).
(4) Reported by Ahmad (11780) and al-Tabarī in Tahdhīb al-Āthār (618, ‘Alī Ridā edition), from Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī. Its chain includes Musarra ibn Ma‘bad, an acceptable narrator. Ibn Hibbān said in al-Majrūhīn (3:42): “Despite narrating few reports, he would transmit alone from trustworthy narrators reports unlike those transmitted by firmly reliable narrators. His reports may not be used as evidence when he is the sole transmitter.” Ibn Rajab rated its chain as good in al-Fath (6:305), and al-Albānī graded it hasan (fair) in Asl Sifat al-Salāh (1:126). See also al-Sahīha (3251).
(5) Reported by al-Bukhārī (377) and Muslim (544), from Sahl ibn Sa‘d.
(6) ن: “min bayni yadayhi (from in front of him).”