Lesson 4 of 6 · Set the floor, not the ceiling
A rope in the masjid
There is a report that is worth picturing rather than just reading.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, came into the masjid and found a rope stretched between two pillars. He asked what it was for and was told it belonged to Zaynab, who prayed at night and held onto it when she got tired.
He had it taken down, and he said to pray as long as you feel active, and when you get tired, sit down.
That is the tradition itself dismantling a devotional aid because it was being used to push past capacity. Not a permission grudgingly granted. An instruction, and the rope came down.
In one of the wordings the instruction is doubled. Untie it, untie it.
Qur’an and Sunnah
The report to picture rather than only read. A rope between two pillars, and the instruction was to take it down and to pray as long as you feel active.
Narrated Anas bin Malik Once the Prophet (ﷺ) entered the Mosque and saw a rope hanging in between its two pillars. He said, "What is this rope?" The people said, "This rope is for Zainab who, when she feels tired, holds it (to keep standing for the prayer.)" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Don't use it. Remove the rope. You should pray as long as you feel active, and when you get tired, sit down
Sahih al-Bukhari 1150graded sound, sahihaynthe Arabic and its grading
Untie it. Let one pray as long as one feels fresh, and when one slackens or tires, sit down. The same scene in a second collection, shown because the tradition dismantling a devotional aid for being used to push past capacity is worth seeing in more than one place.
Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered the mosque (and he found) a rope tied between the two pillars; so he said:What is this? They said: It is for Zainab. She prays and when she slackens or feels tired she holds it. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: Untie it. Let one pray as long as one feels fresh but when one slackens or becomes tired one must stop it. (And in the hadith transmitted by Zuhair it is:" He should sit down)
Sahih Muslim 784graded sound, sahihaynthe Arabic and its grading
And the wording where the instruction is doubled rather than said once. Untie it, untie it.
It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered the mosque and saw a rope tied between two pillars. He said, “What is this rope?” They said:“It belongs to Zainab. She prays here and when she gets tired she holds on to it.” He said: “Untie it, untie it; let any one of you pray when he has energy, if he gets tired let him sit down.”
Sunan Ibn Majah 1371graded sound, albanithe Arabic and its grading