The Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered a man to lead the people in the noon prayer, but he spat toward the qiblah while leading them. When the time for the afternoon prayer came, the Messenger sent for someone else to lead. The first man grew anxious and came to the Prophet ﷺ and asked, "Messenger of Allah, has something been revealed about me?"He replied, "No, but you spat in front of you while leading the people in prayer, and by doing so you offended Allah and His angels."
أمر رسول الله ﷺ رجلا يصلي بالناس صلاة الظهر، فتفل في القبلة وهو يصلي للناس. فلما كانت صلاة العصر، أرسل إلى آخر، فأشفق الرجل الأول، فجاء إلى النبي ﷺ فقال: يا رسول الله ﷺ! أنزل فى؟ قال: لا، ولكنك تفلت بين يديك، وأنت تؤم الناس فأذيت الله وملائكته.
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Tabarani narrated it in Al-Kabir (13/80-81), and Baqi bin Makhlad also narrated it, as mentioned in Bayan al-Wahm wal-Ihaam (5/282), both of them through Abdullah bin Wahb, who said, "Huyayy bin Abdullah told me," from Abu Abdul-Rahman (whose name is Abdullah bin Yazid Maafiri), from Abdullah bin Amr, and he related it.Its chain of transmission is hasan because of Huyayy bin Abdullah Maafiri, for there is disagreement about him, though his hadith is hasan. Ibn Adi said, "I hope there is no harm in him when a trustworthy narrator reports from him," and this hadith comes through the narration of Abdullah bin Wahb Misri from him, who is a trustworthy imam.Haythami mentioned it in Majma (2/20) and said, "Tabarani narrated it in Al-Kabir, and its narrators are trustworthy."On this subject there is also what has been reported from Abu Sahla Saaib bin Khallad, that a man led a group of people in prayer and spat toward the qibla while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was watching. When he finished, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "He shall not lead you in prayer." Afterward, that man wanted to lead them in prayer again, but they prevented him and told him what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had said. This was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he said, "Yes." And I think he said, "You have offended Allah and His Messenger."Abu Dawud (481) and Imam Ahmad (16561) both narrated it through Bakr bin Sawada Judhami, from Salih bin Khaywan, from Abu Sahla Saaib bin Khallad, and he related it, the wording being that of Abu Dawud.Its chain of transmission is hasan because of Salih bin Khaywan, whom Ajli and Ibn Hibban both considered trustworthy. It has a basis, as will come later in the Book of Masjids, in the chapter on the prohibition of spitting in the masjid and toward the qibla.