Narrated by Abu Hurairah
Does the one who raises his head before the imam not fear that Allah will turn his head into the head of a donkey, or make his form the form of a donkey?
Sahih al-Bukhari 691, Sahih Muslim 427
What this hadith teaches
Going ahead of the imam gains nothing, because the prayer cannot end before his, and it risks invalidating one's own prayer.
Reference and grade
- Grade
- Sahih: agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim
- Narrator
- Abu Hurairah
- Chapter
- Congregation and rows
The hadith in Arabic نص الحديث
أَمَا يَخْشَى أَحَدُكُمْ ـ أَوْ لاَ يَخْشَى أَحَدُكُمْ ـ إِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ قَبْلَ الإِمَامِ أَنْ يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ رَأْسَهُ رَأْسَ حِمَارٍ أَوْ يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ صُورَتَهُ صُورَةَ حِمَارٍ
Arabic text of Sahih al-Bukhari 691, as given on sunnah.com.