Muwatta Malik: Book 9, Hadith 86
Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Habban that his paternal uncle Wasi ibn Habban said, “I was praying, and Abdullah ibn Umar was resting his back on the wall of the qibla. When I had finished the prayer I turned towards him on my left hand side. Abdullah ibn Umar said, ‘What stopped you from turning away to your right?’ I replied, ‘I saw you and turned towards you.’ Abdullah said, ‘You have spoken correctly. People say that you should turn away to your right, but when you pray, you can turn whichever way you wish. If you like, to your right, and if you like, to your left.’ “
وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى بْنِ حَبَّانَ، عَنْ عَمِّهِ، وَاسِعِ بْنِ حَبَّانَ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ كُنْتُ أُصَلِّي وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ مُسْنِدٌ ظَهْرَهُ إِلَى جِدَارِ الْقِبْلَةِ فَلَمَّا قَضَيْتُ صَلاَتِي انْصَرَفْتُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ قِبَلِ شِقِّي الأَيْسَرِ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَنْ تَنْصَرِفَ عَنْ يَمِينِكَ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ رَأَيْتُكَ فَانْصَرَفْتُ إِلَيْكَ . قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّكَ قَدْ أَصَبْتَ إِنَّ قَائِلاً يَقُولُ انْصَرِفْ عَنْ يَمِينِكَ فَإِذَا كُنْتَ تُصَلِّي فَانْصَرِفْ حَيْثُ شِئْتَ إِنْ شِئْتَ عَنْ يَمِينِكَ وَإِنْ شِئْتَ عَنْ يَسَارِكَ .
Muwatta Malik: Book 9, Hadith 86
The above hadith is from the Muwatta Malik collection of hadiths. Authored by Imam Malik ibn Anas, the Muwatta Malik is an 8th-century hadith collection known for its meticulous curation. Developed over a period of 40 years, its content of under 2,000 hadiths is presented within a framework of 61 distinct books.
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For more Hadith in Book 9: Shortening the Prayer