Asl Sifat Salat al-Nabi - Nasir al-Din al-Albani - (2/772)

Lengthening the Prostration
He ﷺ used to keep his prostration almost as long as his bowing, and at times he would extend it even further on account of some incidental matter, as one of the Companions related (1):

“Allah’s Messenger ﷺ came out to lead us in one of the two late-afternoon prayers—[ẓuhr or ʿaṣr]—carrying Ḥasan or Ḥusayn. He stepped forward, placed the child [by his right foot], then pronounced the opening takbīr and began the prayer. In the middle of the prayer he went into prostration and remained there for an unusually long time. I raised my head [from among the congregation] and saw the boy on the back of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ while he was prostrating, so I returned to my own prostration. When Allah’s Messenger ﷺ concluded the prayer, the people said, ‘Messenger of Allah, during the prayer you made a prostration (3) so prolonged that we feared something had happened (4) or that revelation was coming to you!’ He replied:

‘None of that occurred; rather, my son was riding on my back (5) and I disliked hurrying him off until he had finished what he wanted.’ (6)

(1) He is Shaddad ibn al-Had, a Companion. (2) That is, while he was in the midst of his prayer. (3) Al-Hakim’s version reads: “A prostration unlike any you usually make—was it something you were commanded to do, or was revelation descending upon you?” (4) This is a figurative reference to death or serious illness. (5) Meaning: he used me as a mount by riding on my back. The phrase “so I disliked to hurry him” may be understood either as hurrying oneself (taʿjil) or forcing another to hurry (iʿjal). (6) Recorded by al-Nasai (1/171–172), Ahmad (3/493; 6/467) and al-Hakim (3/164).

إطالةُ السُّجود وكان ﷺ يجعل سجوده قريباً من الركوع في الطُّول، وربما بالغ في الإطالة لأمر عارض؛ كما قال بعض الصحابة (١) : " خرج علينا رسول الله ﷺ في إحدى صلاتي العشي -[الظهر والعصر]- وهو حامل حسناً أو حسيناً، فتقدم النبي ﷺ، فوضعه [عند قدمه اليمنى] ، ثم كبر للصلاة، فصلى، فسجد بين ظهرانَيْ (٢) صلاته سجدة أطالها، قال: فرفعت رأسي [من بين الناس] ؛ فإذا الصبي على ظهر رسول الله ﷺ وهو ساجد، فرجعت إلى سجودي، فلما قضى رسول الله ﷺ الصلاة؛ قال الناس: يا رسول الله! إنك سجدت بين ظهرانَيْ صلاتك [هذه] سجدة (٣) أطلتها؛ حتى ظَنَنّا أنه قد حدث أمر (٤) ، أو أنه يوحى إليك! قال: " كل ذلك لم يكن؛ ولكن ابني ارتحلني (٥) ، فكرهت أن أعجله حتى يقضي حاجته " (٦) .

(١) هو شَدّاد بن الهَاد ﵁. (٢) أي: في أثناء صلاته. (٣) ولفظ الحاكم: سجدة ما كنت تسجدها؛ أشيء أمرت به، أو كان يوحى إليك؟ (٤) كناية عن الموت، أو المرض. (٥) أي: اتخذني راحلة بالركوب على ظهري. " فكرهت أن أعجله ": من التعجيل، أو الإعجال. (٦) أخرجه النسائي (١/١٧١ - ١٧٢) ، وأحمد (٣/٤٩٣ و ٦/٤٦٧) ، والحاكم (٣/١٦٤) ،