Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الصَّمَدِ وَكَثِيرُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي حَاجَةٍ لَهُ فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَيْهِ وَهُوَ عَلَى رَاحِلَتِهِ فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيَّ وَرَأَيْتُهُ يَرْكَعُ وَيَسْجُدُ فَتَنَحَّيْتُ عَنْهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي مَا صَنَعْتَ فِي حَاجَتِكَ فَقُلْتُ صَنَعْتُ كَذَا وَكَذَا فَقَالَ أَمَا إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَمْنَعْنِي أَنْ أَرُدَّ عَلَيْكَ إِلَّا أَنِّي كُنْتُ أُصَلِّي.
English Translation
Abd al-Samad and Kathir ibn Hisham told us, they said: Hisham told us, from Abu al-Zubayr, from Jabir, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent me on an errand of his. I came back to him while he was on his mount, and I greeted him, but he did not return the greeting. I saw him bowing and prostrating, so I withdrew from him. Then he said to me: "What did you do about your errand?" I said: "I did such and such." He said: "Nothing prevented me from returning your greeting except that I was praying."