"The Prophet prayed Salat Al-Khawf, praying one Rak'ah with one of the two groups, while the other group was facing the enemy. (When the first group finished they first Rak'ah with him), they went and took position (of the second group, facing the enemy). Then the second group came and he led them in another Rak'ah, then he said the Taslim to them, while the group proceeded to complete their (second) Rak'ah. Thereafter, the first group stood up to finish their (second) Rak'ah."
The Book on Traveling - Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Hadith Reference: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 564
Exposition of Salat Al-Khawf
This narration demonstrates the practical implementation of the Fear Prayer, which Allah legislated in Surah An-Nisa: "And when you are among them and lead them in prayer, let a group of them stand [in prayer] with you and let them carry their arms." The Prophet's action here provides the sunnah method for performing prayer during imminent danger.
The wisdom behind dividing the Muslims into two groups is manifest: one group remains vigilant against the enemy while the other performs prayer, thus maintaining both religious obligation and military preparedness. This reflects the comprehensive nature of Islamic law which considers all circumstances.
Scholarly Commentary on the Procedure
The Prophet led the first group in one rak'ah while they stood behind him in prayer formation. Upon completion, they did not immediately complete their second rak'ah but rather moved to replace the second group facing the enemy. This rotation ensures continuous protection of the Muslim contingent.
When the second group came forward, the Prophet led them in what constituted their first rak'ah, then concluded the prayer with taslim upon completing this rak'ah. The second group thus performed only one rak'ah with the Imam, while the first group had performed one rak'ah with him earlier.
Thereafter, each group independently completed their remaining rak'ah individually. This demonstrates the flexibility in prayer completion during fearful circumstances, where the Imam's taslim doesn't necessarily mean all worshippers have completed their full prayer.
Legal Rulings Derived
This hadith establishes that Salat Al-Khawf can be performed with the Imam praying multiple rak'ahs with different groups. The prayer remains valid despite the Imam leading different congregations for different portions of the prayer.
It is permissible for worshippers to complete their prayer after the Imam has given salams, which differs from normal congregational prayer where followers generally do not add rak'ahs after the Imam's taslim.
The priority of protecting the Muslim community is demonstrated through this prayer method, showing that religious obligations can be adapted to preserve greater interests (masalih) when necessary.