The prayer was prescribed as two rak'ahs, two rak'ahs both in journey and at the place of residence. The prayer while travelling remained as it was (originally prescribed), but an addition was made in the prayer (observed) at the place of residence.

I told 'Umar b. al-Khattab that Allah had said:" You may shorten the prayer only if you fear that those who are unbelievers may afflict you" (Qur'an, iv. 101), whereas the people are now safe. He replied: I wondered about it in the same way as you wonder about it, so I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about it and he said: It is an act of charity which Allah has done to you, so accept His charity.

I accompanied Ibn 'Umar on the road to Mecca and he led us in two rak'ahs at the noon prayer, then he went forward and we too went along with him to a place where he alighted, and he sat and we sat along with him, and he cast a glance to the side where he said prayer and he saw people standing and asked: What are they doing? I said: They are engaged in glorifying Allah, offering Sunnah prayer. He said: If I had done so I would have perfected my prayer; O my nephew! I accompanied the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on a journey, and he made no addittion to two rak'ahs, till Allah called him. I accompanied Abu Bakr and he made no addition to two rak'ahs till Allah caused him to die. I accompanied 'Umar and he made no addition to two rak'ahs till Allah caused him to die. I accompanied 'Uthman and he made no addition to two rak'ahs, till Allah caused him to die, and Allah has said:" There is a model pattern for you in the Messenger of Allah" (al-Qur'an, xxxiii. 21).

I fell ill and lbn 'Umar came to inquire after my health, and I asked him about the glorification of Allah (i. e. prayer) while travelling. Thereupon he said: I accompanied the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on a journey but I did not see him glorifying Him, and were I to glorify (Him). I would have completed the prayer. Allah, the Exalted, has said:" Verily there is a model pattern for you in the Messenger of Allah."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said four rak'ahs in the noon prayer while at Medina, but he offered two rak'ahs in the afternoon prayer at Dhu'l-Hulaifa.

I asked Anas b. Malik about shortening of prayer. He said: When the Messenger of' Allah (ﷺ) had covered a distance of three miles or three farsakh (Shu'ba, one of the narrators, had some doubt about it) he observed two rak'ahs.

I went along with Shurahbil b. al-Simt to a village which was situated at a distance of seventeen or eighteen miles, and he said only two rak'ahs of prayer. I said to him (about it) and he said: I saw 'Umar observing two rak'ahs at Dhu'l-Hulaifa and I (too) said to him (about it) and he said: I am doing the same as I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) doing.

We went out from Medina to Mecca with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he prayed two rak'ahs at each time of prayer till we returned to Medina. I said: For how long did he stay in Mecca? He said: (For) ten (days).

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said two rak'ahs at Mina, and Abu Bakr after him, and 'Umar after Abu Bakr, and 'Uthman at the beginning of his caliphate; then 'Uthman observed four rak'ahs, and when Ibn 'Umar prayed with the Imam, he said four rak'ahs, but when he observed prayer alone, he said two rak'ahs.

A hadith like this has been narrated by the same chain of transmitters.

The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) said in Mina the prayer of a traveller (short prayer) ; Abu Bakr and 'Umar did the same and 'Uthmia did it for eight years or six years. Hafs (one of the narrators) said: Ibn 'Umar would also say two rak'ahs at Mina and then go to bed. I said to him: O uncle, I wish you could have said two rak'ahs (of Sunnah prayer after shorenting the Fard prayer). He said: Were I to do that, I would have completed the prayer.

I do not like you should walk in muddy slippery place.

A hadith like this that Ibn 'Abbas ordered his Mu'adhdhin (to summon people to prayer and then make announcement to say prayer in their houses) on Friday which was a rainy day, has been transmitted by 'Abdullah b. Harith. Wuhaib, however, says that he did not hear it from him.

Ibn 'Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say Nafl prayer on (the back of) his camel in whatever direction it took him.

I was travelling along with Ibn 'Umar on the way to Mecca. Sa'id said: When I apprehended dawn, I dismounted (the ride) and observed Witr prayer and then again joined him. Ibn 'Umar said to me: Where were you? I said: I apprehended the appearance of dawn, so I dismounted and observed Witr prayer. Upon this 'Abdullah said: Is there not a model pattern for you in the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)? I said: Yes, by Allah, and (then) he said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to observe Witr prayer on the camel's back.

I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) delaying the sunset prayer till he would combine it with the 'Isha' when he hastened to set out on a journey.

We set out with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the Tabuk expedition, and he observed the noon and afternoon prayers together and the sunset and 'Isha' prayers together.

A person said to Ibn 'Abbas (as he delayed the prayer): Prayer. He kept silence. He again said: Prayer. He again kept silence, and he again cried: Prayer. He again kept silence and said: May you be deprived of your mother, do you teach us about prayer? We used to combine two prayers during the life of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

" His face would turn towards us."

When the prayer commences, there is no prayer but the obligatory one.