The Messenger of Allah ﷺ visited a sick companion, and I was with him. He entered upon the man while he was praying on a piece of wood, placing his forehead on the wood. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gestured to him, so he threw the wood aside and took a pillow instead.The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him, "Set it aside. If you are able to prostrate on the ground, do so. Otherwise, gesture with your head, and make your prostration lower than your bowing."
عاد رسول الله ﷺ رجلا من أصحابه مريضا، وأنا معه فدخل عليه وهو يصلي على عود، فوضع جبهته على العود، فأومأ إليه فطرح العود، وأخذ وسادة، فقال له رسول الله ﷺ: دعها عنك إن استطعت أن تسجد على الأرض وإلا فأومئ إيماء، واجعل سجودك أخفض من ركوعك.
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Tabarani reported it in Al-Kabir (12/269–270) from Abdullah bin Ahmad, who said, "Shabab Asfari narrated to me, Sahl Abu Attab narrated to us, Hafs bin Sulayman narrated to us, from Qays bin Muslim, from Tariq bin Shihab, from Ibn Umar," and he mentioned it.Its isnad is hasan because of Shabab, who is Khalifa bin Khayat Asfari, Abu Amr Basri. Shabab is his nickname. There is disagreement about him, but his hadith is hasan. His teacher Sahl is Ibn Hammad Basri, Abu Attab, described as trustworthy in Taqrib. Hafs bin Sulayman is Minqari Tamimi Basri, described as reliable in Taqrib.But Haythami confused him with someone else, saying in Majma (2/148), "He is discarded, and the reports from Ahmad differ regarding his reliability, and the correct view is that he declared him daif." The correct view, however, is that Ahmad did not declare Minqari daif, rather he said, "He is sound." The disagreement in Ahmad's reports actually concerned Hafs bin Sulayman Asadi Ghadiri, who is daif by the consensus of the scholars. It is stated in Taqrib, "His hadith is discarded, despite his mastery in recitation."As for what is reported from Ali bin Abu Talib, from the Prophet ﷺ, that he said, "The sick person prays standing if he is able, and if he cannot, he prays sitting. If he cannot prostrate, he gestures, making his prostration lower than his bowing. If he cannot pray sitting, he prays on his right side facing the qibla, and if he cannot pray on his right side, he prays lying on his back with his feet toward the qibla," this is daif.Daraqutni reported it (2/42) via Husayn bin Zayd bin Hakam Jabari, who said, "Hasan bin Husayn Arni narrated to us, Husayn bin Zayd narrated to us, from Jafar bin Muhammad, from his father, from Ali bin Husayn, from Husayn bin Ali, from Ali bin Abu Talib," and he mentioned it. In it is Hasan bin Husayn Arni, of whom Ibn Adi said, "He has anomalous hadiths, and his hadith does not resemble the hadith of reliable narrators." Ibn Kathir said, "He is a daif Shia." Irshad Faqih (1/180). Also in it is Husayn bin Zayd, whom Ibn Main and others declared daif. Ibn Adi says, "I hope that there is no harm in him, except that I found anomalies in his hadith." Nawawi said, "This is a daif hadith."Likewise, what is reported from Jabir does not hold up, that the Prophet ﷺ visited a sick person and saw him praying on a cushion, so he took it and threw it aside, then took a stick for him to pray on, so he took that too and threw it away, and said, "Pray on the ground if you are able, otherwise gesture, and make your prostration lower than your bowing." Bazzar reported it, Kashf Astar (568), and Bayhaqi (2/306), via Abu Bakr Hanafi, who said, "Sufyan Thawri narrated to us, from Abu Zubayr, from Jabir," and he mentioned the hadith.Abu Hatim was asked about this hadith, and he said, "The correct view is that it is stopped at Jabir, and raising it to the Prophet is a mistake." It was said to him, "But Abu Usama has reported this hadith from Thawri raised to the Prophet." He said, "That is nothing."