Sunan Abi Dawud
Sunan Abi Dawud 1247
Those Who Said That The Imam Should Lead Each Group For One Rak'ah And Then They Should Not Complete (The Second Rak'ah)
Arabic hadith text
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، وَسَعِيدُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، عَنْ بُكَيْرِ بْنِ الأَخْنَسِ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَفَرَضَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى الصَّلاَةَ عَلَى لِسَانِ نَبِيِّكُمْ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي الْحَضَرِ أَرْبَعًا وَفِي السَّفَرِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَفِي الْخَوْفِ رَكْعَةً .
Translation
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas
Allah, the Exalted, prescribed prayer for you, through the tongue of your Prophet (ﷺ), four rak'ahs while resident, two rak'ahs while travelling and one rak'ah in time of danger.
Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat): Detailed Rules of Law about the Prayer during Journey - Sunan Abi Dawud 1247
This narration establishes the divine legislation of prayer variations according to circumstances, revealed through the blessed tongue of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). The wisdom behind these distinctions demonstrates Allah's mercy in facilitating worship while maintaining its obligatory nature.
Scholarly Commentary on Prayer Variations
The four rak'ahs for residents refer to the complete form of Zhuhr, 'Asr, and 'Isha' prayers, indicating the full complement of worship when one is settled and at ease.
The two rak'ahs during travel represent the qasr (shortening) of prayers, a concession demonstrating Allah's mercy upon the traveling believer, lightening their burden while preserving the prayer's essence.
The single rak'ah in times of danger reflects the ultimate concession during warfare or extreme peril, where even the prayer's form is adapted to preserve life while maintaining the connection with the Creator.
Legal Rulings and Conditions
Shortening prayers is permissible when traveling the distance of approximately 48 miles (77 km) or more, according to the majority of scholars. The traveler continues shortening prayers until returning to their place of residence.
The prayer of fear (salat al-khawf) follows specific configurations detailed in other authentic narrations, allowing flexibility in formation and sequence based on the level of danger faced by the Muslim community.