Shortening the Prayer

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Ibn Umar stayed inMakka for ten nights, shortening the prayer, except when he prayed itbehind an imam, in which case he followed the imam's prayer.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ata al-Khurasani that heheard Said ibn al Musayyab say, "A traveller who has decided to remainsomewhere for four nights does the prayer in full."

Maliksaid, "That is what I prefer most out of what I have heard."

Malik when asked about the prayer of a prisoner, said, "It is the sameas the prayer of a person who remains in one place, except if he istravelling."

Yahya related the same as that to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from his father from Umar ibn al-Khattab.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umarused to pray four rakas behind the imam at Mina, and when he prayed byhimself he would pray two rakas.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Safwan said,"Abdullah ibn Umar used to come and visit Abdullah ibn Safwan and hewould pray two rakas with us, and when he went away we would stand andcomplete the prayer."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umarnever used to pray anything with the fard prayer, either before it orafter it, while travelling, except in the depths of the night. Hewould pray on the ground or on his mount, whichever way it was facing.

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that al-Qasimibn Muhammad and Urwa ibn az-Zubayr and Abu Bakr ibn Abd ar Rahmanused to pray nawafil when travelling.

Yahya said that Malikwas asked about voluntary prayers when travelling and he said, "Thereis no harm in them, either at night or during the day. I have heardthat some of the people of knowledge used to do that."

Yahya related to me that Malik said, "I have heard from Nafi thatAbdullah ibn Umar used to see his son, Ubaydullah ibn Abdullah, doingvoluntary prayers on a journey,and he would not disapprove of it."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Amr ibn Yahya al-Mazini fromAbu'l-Hubab Said ibn Yasar that Abdullah ibn Umar said, "I saw theMessenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayingon a donkey while heading towards Khaybar."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Dinar fromAbdullah ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, used to pray on his mount while travelling, whicheverway it was facing. Abdullah ibn Dinar said, "Abdullah ibn Umar wouldalso do that."

Yahya related to me from Malik that Yahya ibn Said said, "I sawAnas ibn Malik on a journey praying on a donkey facing away from theqibla. He did the raka and the sajda by motioning with his head,without putting his face on anything."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Musa ibn Maysara from AbuMurra, the mawla of Aqil ibn Abi Talib, that Umm Hani bint Abi Talibtold him that in the year of the conquest the Messenger of Allah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, prayed eight rakas, coveringhimself with one garment.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'n Nadr, the mawla of Umaribn Ubaydullah, that Abu Murra, the mawla of Aqil ibn Abi Talib, toldhim that he had heard Umm Hani bint Abi Talib say, "I went to theMessenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in theyear of the conquest and found him doing ghusl while his daughterFatima, was screening him with a garment. I said to him, 'Peace beupon you' and he said, 'Who is that?' I replied, 'Umm Hani bint AbiTalib,' and he said, 'Welcome, Umm Hani!' When he had finished hisghusl, he stood and prayed eight rakas, covering himself with onegarment, and then came away. I said, 'Messenger of Allah, the son ofmy mother, AIi, says that he is determined to kill so-and-so, son ofHubayra, a man I have placed under my protection.' The Messenger ofAllah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'We giveprotection to whoever you have given protection to, Umm Hani.' "

Umm Hani related that this incident happened in the morning.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Urwa ibn az-Zubayr that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, said, "I never once saw the Messenger of Allah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, doing the voluntary prayer ofduha, but I myself do it. Sometimes the Messenger of Allah, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, would refrain from a practice that heloved to do, fearing that people would do the same and it would becomefard for them ."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from A'ishathat she used to pray duha with eight rakas, and she would say, "Iwould never stop doing them even if my parents were to be brought backto life."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ishaq ibn Abdullah ibn AbiTalha from Anas ibn Malik that his grandmother, Mulayka, invited theMessenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, for foodand he ate some of it. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah blesshim and grant him peace, said, "Get up and I will lead you in prayer."

Anas said, "I stood up and took a woven mat belonging to usthat had become black through long use and sprinkled it with water,and the Messengerof Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,stood on it. The orphan and I formed a row behind him, and the oldwoman stood behind us. He prayed two rakas with us and then left."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Ubaydullahibn Abdullah ibn Utba said, "I visited Umar ibn al-Khattab just beforenoon and found him praying a voluntary prayer. So I stood behind him,but he pulled me nearer and put me next to him, on his right handside, and then Yarfa came and I moved back and we formed a row behindhim."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Said al-Khudri from his father that the Messenger ofAllah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Do not letanyone pass in front of you when you are praying. Repel him as much asyou can, and, if he refuses, fight him, for he is only a shaytan."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'n Nadr, the mawla of Umaribn Ubaydullah from Busr ibn Said that Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhani senthim to Abu Juhaym to ask him what he had heard from the Messenger ofAllah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about passing in frontof someone praying. Abu Juhaym said, "The Messenger of Allah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'If the one who passes infront of a man praying knew what he was bringing upon himself it wouldbe better for him to stop for forty than to pass in front of him.' "

Abu'n-Nadr said, "I do not know whether he said forty days ormonths or years."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from Ata ibnYasar that Kab al-Ahbar said, "If the person who passed in front of aman praying knew what he was bringing on himself, it would be betterfor him to sink into the ground than to pass in front of him."