عن أَنسٍ رضي اللّه عنه قال: دَخَلَ النَّبِيُّ صَلّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم المَسْجِدَ فَإِذَا حَبْلٌ مَمْدُودٌ بَيْنَ السَّارِيَتَيْنِ فقال: «ما هَذَا الحبْلُ؟» قالُوا، هَذا حبْلٌ لِزَيْنَبَ فَإِذَا فَترَتْ تَعَلَّقَتْ بِهِ، فقال النَّبِيُّ صَلّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم: «حُلُّوهُ، لِيُصَلِّ أَحدُكُمْ نَشَاطَهُ، فَإِذا فَترَ فَلْيَقْعُدْ» متفقٌ عليه.
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (peace be upon him) entered the mosque and found a rope stretched between two pillars. He asked: "What is this rope?" They said: "It belongs to Zaynab. When she becomes tired during prayer, she holds onto it." The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Untie it. Let one of you pray as long as he feels energetic, and when he becomes tired, let him sit down." Agreed upon (narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim).
الشرح · explanation
بين السَّارِيَتَين: السَّارية: الأسطوانة وهي الدعامة التي يعتمد عليها السقف. لزينب: أي زينب بنت جحش، أم المؤمنين رضي اللّه عنها. فَتَرَت: كَسلَت عن القيام في الصلاة، أو عن العبادة. نشاطه: أي وقت نشاطه. فليقعد: يُحتمَل أن يكون أمرًا بالقعود عن القيام، فيُستدَل به على جواز افتتاح الصلاة قائمًا والقعود في أثنائها، ويُحتمَل أن يكون أمرًا بالقعود عن الصلاة، أي بترك ما كان عزم عليه من التنفل، ويُستدَل به على جواز قطع النافلة بعد الدخول فيها.
"Between the two pillars" — a pillar (sariyah) is a column that supports the ceiling. "Zaynab" refers to Zaynab bint Jahsh, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her). "Becomes tired" (fatarat) means she becomes fatigued from standing in prayer or from worship. "As long as he feels energetic" (nashatahu) means during the time of his vitality and energy. "Let him rest" — this may be understood as a command to sit down from standing, which would indicate the permissibility of beginning the prayer while standing and then sitting during it. It may also be understood as a command to stop praying altogether — meaning to abandon the voluntary prayer he had intended — which would indicate the permissibility of discontinuing a voluntary prayer after starting it.
الدروس · lessons
التنفل جائز في المسجد للرجال والنساء. إزالة المنكر باليد لمن يتمكن من ذلك. كراهة أن يعتمد المصلي في أثناء صلاته على شيء. الحثّ على الاقتصاد في العبادة، فلا ينبغي للمسلم أن يتكلَّفَ ما لا يُطِيق؛ لأنَّ اللّهَ تعالى لم يُكلِّفْه ذلك. من الأفضل أن يُقبِل الإنسان على العبادة بنَفسٍ مُنشرِحَة، وباشتِياق إليها، فيكون ذلك أدعَى إلى مَحبَّتِها والمُداومة عليها.
Voluntary prayers are permissible in the mosque for both men and women. Removing wrongful practices by hand for one who has the authority to do so. It is disliked for a person praying to lean on anything during the prayer. Encouragement to be moderate in worship — a Muslim should not burden himself with what he cannot bear, for Allah, the Most High, has not charged him with that. It is preferable to approach worship with a receptive, eager heart, for this is more conducive to loving it and persisting in it.