The Book of Prayer (Travellers)

'A'isha, the wife of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), reported: 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.

'A'isha, the wife of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), said Allah prescribed the prayer as two rak'ahs, then it was completed (to four rak'ahs) at the place of residence, but was retained in the same position in journey as it was first made obligatory.

'A'isha reported: The prayer was prescribed as consisting of two rak'abs, the prayer in travelling remained the same, but the prayer at the place of residence was completed. (Zuhri said he asked 'Urwa why 'A'isha said prayer in the complete form during journey, and he replied that she interpreted the matter herself as 'Uthman did.)

Yahya b. Umayya said: 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 (may peace be upon him) about it and he said: It is an act of charity which Allah has done to you, so accept His charity.

Ya'la b. Umayya reported: I said to 'Umar b. al-Khattab, and the rest of the hadlth is the same.

Ibn 'Abbas reported: Allah has prescribed the prayer through the word of your Prophet (may peace be upon him) as four rak'ahs when resident, two when travelling, and one when danger is present.

Ibn 'Abbas reported: Allah has prescribed the prayer by the tongue of your Apostle (may peace be upon him) as two rak'ahs for the traveller, four for the resident, and one in danger.

Musa b. Salama Hudhali said: I asked Ibn 'Abbas: How should I say prayer when I am in Mecca, and when I do not pray along with the Imam? He said: Two rak'ahs (of prayer) is the Sunnah of Abu'l-Qasim (may peace be upon him).

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

Hafs b. 'Asim said: 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 (may peace be upon him) 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).

Hafs b. 'Asim reported: 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 (may peace be upon him) 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."

Anas reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) 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.

Anas b. Malik is reported to have said: I observed four rak'ahs in the noon prayer with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) at Medina, and said two rak'ahs in the afternoon prayer at Dhu'l-Hulaifa.

Yahya b. Yazid al-Huna'i reported: I asked Anas b. Malik about shortening of prayer. He said: When the Messenger of' Allah (may peace be upon him) 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.

Jubair b. Nufair reported: 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 (may peace be upon him) doing.

This hadith has been transmitted by Shu'ba with the same chain of narrators and it is narrated from Simt, and the name of Shurahbil has not been mentioned, and he said that he had gone to a place called Dumin, situated at a distance of eighteen miles from Hims.

Anas b. Malik reported: We went out from Medina to Mecca with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) 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).

A hadith like this has been narrated by Anas by another chain of transmitters.

Yahya b. Abu Ishaq reported: I heard Anas b. Malik say: We went out for Pilgrimage from Medina. The rest is the same.

A hadith like this has been transmitted by Anas, but no mention has been made of Pilgrimage.

Salim b. 'Abdullah (b. 'Umar) reported on the authority of his father that Allah's Messenger (way peace be upon him) observed the prayer of a traveller, i. e. two rak'ahs in Mina, and other places; so did Abu Bakr and 'Umar, and 'Uthman too observed two rak'abs at the beginning of his caliphate, but he then completed four.

A hadith like this has been reported by Zuhri, with the same chain of transmitters, and in it mention was made of Mina only, but not of other places.

Ibn 'Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) 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.

Ibn 'Umar reported: The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) 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.

This hadith has been narrated by Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters but no mention has been made of Mina, but they (the narrators) only said: He prayed while travelling.

Ibrahim reported: I heard 'Abd al-Rahman as saying; 'Uthman led us four rak'ahs of prayer at Mina. It was reported to Abdullah b. Mas'ud and he recited:" Surely we are Allah's and to Him shall we return," and then said: I prayed with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) at Mina two rak'ahs of prayer. I prayed along with Abu Bakr al-Siddiq two rak'ahs of prayer at Mina. I prayed along with 'Umar b. Khattab two rak'ahs of prayer at Mina. I wish I had my share of the two rak'ahs acceptable (to God) for the four rak'ahs.

A hadith like this has been reported by A'mash with the same chain of transmitters.

Haritha b. Wahb reported: I prayed with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) two rak'abs and most of them offered two rak'ahs only in Mina, while the people felt secure.

Wahb al-Khuza'i reported: I prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (way peace be upon him) at Mina, and there was the greatest number of people, and they prayed two rak'ahs on the occasion of the Farwell Pilgrmage. (Muslim said: Haritha b. Wahb al-Khuza'i is the brother of 'Ubaidullah b. 'Umar son of Khattab from the side of mother.)