within its capacity, and the Prophet ﷺ said: “When I command you to do something, perform of it whatever you can.” This wording is recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim, among others, from Abu Hurayrah. Abu Dawud reports in his Masail (p. 76): “I asked Ahmad: A man is with an expedition and the snow is so deep that he cannot prostrate on it—what should he do? He replied: He should pray on his mount. I said: What if it is raining and he fears his clothes will get soaked? He answered: He should pray on his mount.” Al-Marwazi states in his Masail: “I asked—meaning, I asked Ahmad—: If a man is praying in water and mud, how does he prostrate? He said: If he cannot prostrate and his clothes would be ruined, he gestures with a nod, just as Anas said.” Ishaq agreed, adding, “The obligatory prayer performed in this way is valid even in settled areas, as Anas maintained.” (1) Jabir b. Abd Allah narrated: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was on his riding-animal heading east, and when he wished to perform an obligatory prayer he would dismount and face the qiblah.” Reported by al-Bukhari (1/400; 2/460), al-Darimi (1/356), al-Bayhaqi (2/6, adding: “and he prayed”), and Ahmad (3/305, 330, 378) through the chain of Muhammad b. Abd al-Rahman b. Thawban. Supporting reports come from Ibn Umar and Amir b. Rabi‘a, both cited above. Ibn Hajar writes in Fath al-Bari: “Ibn Battal said: The scholars unanimously hold that one must dismount to perform an obligatory prayer; it is impermissible to pray an obligatory prayer on a mount without a valid excuse, except in circumstances of extreme fear.”