—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—to pray while looking towards the mountain pass. Abū Dāwūd said: ‘He had sent a horseman to the pass during the night to stand guard.’”

This is comparable to his carrying Umāmah, daughter of Abū al-‘Ās ibn al-Rabī‘, whose mother was Zaynab, daughter of the Messenger of Allah; his opening the door for ‘Ā’ishah; his descending from the pulpit when he led them in prayer to teach them; his stepping backwards during the eclipse prayer; his seizing the devil and throttling him when he sought to interrupt his prayer; his commanding that snakes and scorpions be killed during prayer; his commanding that anyone passing directly in front of someone praying be stopped and forcibly resisted; his instructing women to clap; his gesturing during prayer; and other actions performed out of need. Had these been done without need, they would have constituted idle movements contrary to humble devotion and forbidden during prayer.

Further evidence for this is what Tamīm al-Tā’ī narrated from Jābir ibn Samurah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

“The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came in to us while people had their hands raised—the narrator, Zuhayr ibn Mu‘āwiyah, said: ‘I believe he said, “during prayer.”’ He said: ‘Why do I see you raising your hands like the tails of unruly horses? Be still during prayer.’”

Muslim, Abū Dāwūd and al-Nasā’ī narrated this. They also narrated through ‘Ubaydullāh ibn al-Qibtiyyah, from Jābir ibn Samurah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

“When we prayed behind the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, each of us would gesture with his hand to his right and left when giving the salutation of peace. When he had finished praying, he said: ‘Why does each of you gesture with his hand as though it were the tail of an unruly horse? It is enough for one of you—or, is it not enough for one of you—