Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat): Detailed Rules of Law about the Prayer during Journey

Al-Qaʿnabi narrated to us, from Malik, from Salih ibn Kaysan, from ʿUrwah ibn al-Zubayr, from ʿAishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: ‘Prayer was prescribed as two rakʿahs each, both at home and while traveling. The prayer while traveling remained as prescribed, while the prayer at home was increased.’

Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Musaddad said: Yahya narrated to us, from Ibn Jurayj. Khushaysh—meaning Ibn Asram—narrated to us: ʿAbd al-Razzaq informed us, from Ibn Jurayj, who said: ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn Abi ʿAmmar narrated to me, from ʿAbd Allah ibn Babayh, from Yaʿla ibn Umayyah, who said: I said to ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab: ‘I see people shortening the prayer, although Allah Most High says: {If you fear that those who disbelieve may afflict you}; that danger has now passed.’ He replied: ‘I too wondered about what you wondered about. I mentioned it to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and he said: “It is a charity that Allah has given you, so accept His charity.”’

Ahmad ibn Hanbal narrated to us: ʿAbd al-Razzaq and Muhammad ibn Bakr narrated to us; both said: Ibn Jurayj informed us: I heard ʿAbd Allah ibn Abi ʿAmmar relate it, and he mentioned a similar report. Abu Dawud said: ‘Abu ʿAsim and Hammad ibn Masʿadah narrated it as Ibn Bakr narrated it.’

Muhammad ibn Bashshar narrated to us: Muhammad ibn Jaʿfar narrated to us: Shuʿbah narrated to us, from Yahya ibn Yazid al-Hunaʾi, who said: I asked Anas ibn Malik about shortening the prayer. Anas said: ‘When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) traveled a distance of three miles or three farsakhs—Shuʿbah was uncertain—he would pray two rakʿahs.’

Zuhayr ibn Harb narrated to us: Ibn ʿUyaynah narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir and Ibrahim ibn Maysarah, who both heard Anas ibn Malik say: ‘I prayed the noon prayer with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in Medina as four rakʿahs, and the afternoon prayer at Dhu al-Hulayfah as two rakʿahs.’

Harun ibn Maʿruf narrated to us: Ibn Wahb narrated to us, from ʿAmr ibn al-Harith, that Abu ʿUshanah al-Maʿafiri told him, from ʿUqbah ibn ʿAmir, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘Your Lord marvels at a shepherd of sheep on a mountain peak who calls the adhan and prays. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says: “Look at this servant of Mine: he calls the adhan and establishes the prayer, fearing Me. I have forgiven My servant and admitted him to Paradise.”’

Musaddad narrated to us: Abu Muʿawiyah narrated to us, from al-Mishhaj ibn Musa, who said: I said to Anas ibn Malik: ‘Tell us what you heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).’ He said: ‘When we were traveling with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), whether we said the sun had passed the meridian or not, he would pray the noon prayer and then set out.’

Musaddad narrated to us: Yahya narrated to us, from Shuʿbah. Hamzah al-ʿAʾidhi—a man from Banu Dabbah—narrated to me: I heard Anas ibn Malik say: ‘When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stopped at a place, he would not depart until he had prayed the noon prayer.’ A man asked him: ‘Even if it is midday?’ He replied: ‘Even if it is midday.’

Al-Qaʿnabi narrated to us, from Malik, from Abu al-Zubayr al-Makki, from Abu al-Tufayl ʿAmir ibn Wathilah, that Muʿadh ibn Jabal informed them that they went with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the expedition of Tabuk. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would combine the noon and afternoon prayers and the sunset and night prayers. One day he delayed the prayer, then came out and prayed the noon and afternoon prayers together. Then he went in. Later he came out and prayed the sunset and night prayers together.

Sulayman ibn Dawud al-ʿAtaki narrated to us: Hammad narrated to us: Ayyub narrated to us, from Nafiʿ, that Ibn ʿUmar was summoned regarding Safiyyah while he was in Mecca. He traveled until the sun had set and the stars appeared. He said: ‘When something urgent happened to the Prophet (ﷺ) during a journey, he would combine these two prayers.’ So Ibn ʿUmar continued traveling until the twilight disappeared, then stopped and combined them.

Yazid ibn Khalid ibn Yazid ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn Mawhib al-Ramli al-Hamdani narrated to us: al-Mufaddal ibn Fadalah and al-Layth ibn Saʿd narrated to us, from Hisham ibn Saʿd, from Abu al-Zubayr, from Abu al-Tufayl, from Muʿadh ibn Jabal, that during the expedition of Tabuk, if the sun passed its zenith before the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) set out, he combined the noon and afternoon prayers; but if he set out before the sun passed its zenith, he delayed the noon prayer until he stopped for the afternoon prayer. The same applied to the sunset prayer: if the sun set before he set out, he combined the sunset and night prayers; but if he set out before sunset, he delayed the sunset prayer until he stopped for the night prayer, then combined them. Abu Dawud said: Hisham ibn ʿUrwah narrated it from Husayn ibn ʿAbd Allah, from Kurayb, from Ibn ʿAbbas, from the Prophet (ﷺ), with a report similar to that of al-Mufaddal and al-Layth.

Qutaybah narrated to us: ʿAbd Allah ibn Nafiʿ narrated to us, from Abu Mawud, from Sulayman ibn Abi Yahya, from Ibn ʿUmar, who said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) never combined the sunset and night prayers while traveling except once.’ Abu Dawud said: ‘This is also related from Ayyub, from Nafiʿ, from Ibn ʿUmar, as a statement of Ibn ʿUmar: he was not seen combining them except that one night—meaning the night he was summoned regarding Safiyyah. It is also related in the report of Makhul, from Nafiʿ, that he saw Ibn ʿUmar do that once or twice.’

Al-Qaʿnabi narrated to us, from Malik, from Abu al-Zubayr al-Makki, from Saʿid ibn Jubayr, from ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAbbas, who said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed the noon and afternoon prayers together, and the sunset and night prayers together, without fear or travel.’ Malik said: ‘I think that was during rain.’ Abu Dawud said: ‘Hammad ibn Salamah narrated it similarly from Abu al-Zubayr. Qurrah ibn Khalid narrated it from Abu al-Zubayr, who said: “It was on a journey we made to Tabuk.”’

ʿUthman ibn Abi Shaybah narrated to us: Abu Muʿawiyah narrated to us: al-Aʿmash narrated to us, from Habib ibn Abi Thabit, from Saʿid ibn Jubayr, from Ibn ʿAbbas, who said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) combined the noon and afternoon prayers, and the sunset and night prayers, in Medina without fear or rain.’ Ibn ʿAbbas was asked: ‘What did he intend by that?’ He replied: ‘He intended not to cause hardship for his community.’

Muhammad ibn ʿUbayd al-Muharibi narrated to us: Muhammad ibn Fudayl narrated to us, from his father, from Nafiʿ and ʿAbd Allah ibn Waqid, that the muezzin of Ibn ʿUmar said: ‘Prayer!’ He replied: ‘Go on, go on.’ Just before the twilight disappeared, he stopped and prayed the sunset prayer. Then he waited until the twilight had disappeared and prayed the night prayer. He then said: ‘When something urgent happened to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), he would do as I have done.’ That day and night he traveled a distance of three days. Abu Dawud said: ‘Ibn Jabir narrated a similar report from Nafiʿ with its chain.’

Ibrahim ibn Musa al-Razi informed us: ʿIsa narrated to us, from Ibn Jabir, with this meaning. Abu Dawud said: ʿAbd Allah ibn al-ʿAla narrated it from Nafiʿ, who said: ‘When the twilight was about to disappear, he stopped and combined the two prayers.’

Sulayman ibn Harb and Musaddad said: Hammad ibn Zayd narrated to us. ʿAmr ibn ʿAwn narrated to us: Hammad ibn Zayd informed us, from ʿAmr ibn Dinar, from Jabir ibn Zayd, from Ibn ʿAbbas, who said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led us in prayer in Medina, eight rakʿahs and seven rakʿahs: the noon and afternoon prayers, and the sunset and night prayers.’ Sulayman and Musaddad did not say ‘led us.’ Abu Dawud said: ‘Salih, the client of al-Tawʾamah, narrated it from Ibn ʿAbbas, saying: “Not during rain.”’

Ahmad ibn Salih narrated to us: Yahya ibn Muhammad al-Jari narrated to us: Abd al-Aziz ibn Muhammad narrated to us, from Malik, from Abu al-Zubayr, from Jabir, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saw the sun set at Mecca, so he combined the two prayers at Sarif.

Muhammad ibn Hisham, the neighbor of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, narrated to us: Ja'far ibn Awn narrated to us, from Hisham ibn Sa'd, who said: The distance between them is ten miles. (He meant Mecca and Sarif.)