He then cited beneath it the hadith of Abu Saʿid. Al-Hafiz said in Fath al-Bari (2/402): “From this hadith, the compiler inferred the purpose of the chapter heading. The indication it provides is that their sitting around him in order to hear his words would ordinarily entail their looking at him. This is not contradicted by the earlier mention of standing during the sermon, for this is understood to refer to his speaking while seated in an elevated place, with them seated below him. If this was so outside the sermon, then it is even more so during the sermon, since there is an instruction to listen to it and remain silent during it.”

He said: “One wisdom behind their facing him is that it prepares them to hear his words and observe proper etiquette with him while listening to them. When one faces him with his face, turns toward him with his body and heart, and gives him one’s full attention, this is more conducive to understanding his admonition and responding to the purpose for which he stands.”

Note: It was mentioned earlier, in the report concerning Anas, that al-Mustamir ibn al-Rayyan saw him. This shows that he was among the junior Successors. This conflicts with al-Hafiz’s placing him in the sixth generation in al-Taqrib. He should have placed him in the fifth generation, for he falls under his statement in the introduction to al-Taqrib, after mentioning the generations of the Successors: “The fifth: the junior generation among them, those who saw one or two Companions, though hearing from the Companions has not been established for some of them, such as al-Aʿmash.” Nor does he fall under the statement that follows it: “The sixth: a generation contemporary with the fifth, but for whom meeting any of the Companions has not been established, such as Ibn Jurayj.”

It cannot be said that perhaps al-Hafiz was unaware that al-Mustamir had seen Anas, for we say: he himself mentioned this in al-Tahdhib. Perhaps, then, he forgot it. And Allah knows best.