the pebbles, and he said: ‘Once, or leave them alone.’”

Also in the Musnad, Jābir reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“For one of you to refrain from touching the pebbles is better for him than a hundred she-camels, all dark-eyed. But if Satan overcomes one of you, let him smooth them only once.”

This accords with the report in the two Sahīh collections from Muʿayqib that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said concerning a man who levels the earth where he prostrates:

“If you must do so, then only once.”

This makes clear that they used to prostrate on earth and pebbles. One of them would level his place of prostration with his hand, but the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, disapproved of such fidgeting. He permitted doing it once when needed, though leaving it alone was better.

Anas ibn Mālik, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

“We used to pray with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in intense heat. If one of us could not place his forehead firmly on the ground, he would spread out his garment and prostrate on it.”

This was recorded by the compilers of the Sahīh collections, such as al-Bukhārī and Muslim, as well as the compilers of the Sunan and others.

This hadith makes clear that a person would protect himself from the intense heat simply by spreading out part of a garment he was wearing—such as his waist-wrapper, upper wrap, or shirt—and prostrating on it. This makes clear that they did not pray on prayer rugs, or even on any intervening covering. Thus, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his Companions would sometimes pray in their sandals