Al-Fath ar-Rabbani 1844 — on the Duration the Imam Remains After

Benefits: … The wording of the narration in Sahih Muslim is as follows: Sudi says: I asked Sayyiduna Anas radi Allahu anhu, "After completing the prayer, to which direction should I turn?" He replied, "I saw the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that he would mostly turn to the right side." Whereas above, in the hadith of Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas'ud radi Allahu anhu, it was mentioned that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would mostly turn to the left side. The reconciliation and harmonization of these narrations is that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would sometimes turn to the right and sometimes to the left; each narrator reported the action which he observed more frequently according to his own experience. There is, in fact, no contradiction between them at all.