The Book of Shortening the Prayer When Traveling

Humayd ibn Mas‘adah informed us; he said: Yazid narrated to us; he said: Yahya ibn Abi Ishaq informed us, from Anas ibn Malik, who said: We set out with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) from Madinah to Makkah. He would pray two rak‘ahs with us until we returned. I asked, “Did he stay in Makkah?” He said, “Yes, we stayed there ten days.”

‘Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Aswad al-Basri informed us; he said: Muhammad ibn Rabi‘ah narrated to us, from ‘Abd al-Hamid ibn Ja‘far, from Yazid ibn Abi Habib, from ‘Irak ibn Malik, from ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Abdullah, from Ibn ‘Abbas, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) stayed in Makkah for fifteen days, praying two rak‘ahs each time.

Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Zanjawayh narrated to us, from ‘Abd al-Razzaq, from Ibn Jurayj, who said: Isma‘il ibn Muhammad ibn Sa‘d informed me that Humayd ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman informed him that al-Sa’ib ibn Yazid informed him that he heard al-‘Ala’ ibn al-Hadrami say: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The emigrant may remain for three days after completing his rites.”

Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman informed us; he said: al-Harith ibn Miskin read to him while I listened, in his narration from Sufyan, from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Humayd, from al-Sa’ib ibn Yazid, from al-‘Ala’ ibn al-Hadrami, who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The emigrant may remain in Makkah for three days after completing his rites.”

Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Sufi informed me; he said: Abu Nu‘aym narrated to us; he said: al-‘Ala’ ibn Zuhayr al-Azdi narrated to us; he said: ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Aswad narrated to us, from ‘A’ishah, that she performed ‘umrah with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) from Madinah to Makkah. When she arrived in Makkah, she said: “May my father and mother be sacrificed for you: you shortened the prayer and I completed it; you broke your fast and I fasted.” He said: “You did well, ‘A’ishah,” and he did not criticize me.

Ahmad ibn Yahya informed me; he said: Abu Nu‘aym narrated to us; he said: al-‘Ala’ ibn Zuhayr narrated to us; he said: Wabarah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman narrated to us: Ibn ‘Umar would not pray more than two rak‘ahs while traveling. He would not pray before them or after them. He was asked, “What is this?” He said: “This is how I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) do it.”

Noah ibn Habib narrated to me; he said: Yahya ibn Sa‘id narrated to us; he said: ‘Isa ibn Hafs ibn ‘Asim narrated to us; he said: My father told me: I was with Ibn ‘Umar on a journey. He prayed Dhuhr and ‘Asr as two rak‘ahs each, then went over to a rug of his. He saw some people praying voluntary prayers and asked, “What are these people doing?” I said, “They are praying voluntary prayers.” He said, “If I were to pray before or after these, I would have prayed them in full. I accompanied the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he did not pray more than two rak‘ahs while traveling. Abu Bakr did likewise until he died, as did ‘Umar and ‘Uthman, may Allah be pleased with them all.”