"I heard Sufyan reciting this tashahhud in the obligatory and voluntary prayers, and he said: 'Abu Ishaq narrated to us from Abu Al-Ahwas from Abdullah, from the Prophet (ﷺ).'" And Mansur and Hammad narrated to us from Abu Wa'il, from Abdullah, from the Prophet (ﷺ).
The Book of The At-Tatbiq (Clasping One's Hands Together) - Sunan an-Nasa'i
A scholarly commentary on the transmission of the tashahhud in prayer from multiple reliable chains.
Hadith Transmission Analysis
This narration demonstrates the meticulous preservation of Prophetic traditions through multiple authentic chains (isnad). The great scholar Sufyan ath-Thawri consistently recited this tashahhud in both obligatory and voluntary prayers, indicating its established practice.
The first chain: Abu Ishaq → Abu Al-Ahwas → Abdullah ibn Mas'ud → Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). The second chain: Mansur and Hammad → Abu Wa'il → Abdullah ibn Mas'ud → Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). Such multiple transmissions strengthen the authenticity and reliability of this practice.
Juridical Significance
This hadith (Sunan an-Nasa'i 1165) establishes the legitimacy of reciting this particular tashahhud formulation in all prayers. The fact that distinguished early scholars like Sufyan maintained this practice demonstrates its acceptance within the scholarly community.
The inclusion of both obligatory and voluntary prayers indicates the comprehensive application of this sunnah, showing that voluntary prayers follow the same general rules as obligatory ones regarding recitations, unless specified otherwise by textual evidence.