Bukhari

Benefits and Issues:
Relevance between the Chapter and the Hadith:
The seeker, meaning the one who goes out in search of the enemy, and the sought, meaning the one whom the enemy is searching for—this incident took place when the Battle of Ahzab had ended and the disbelievers had departed in failure. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam immediately ordered the noble Companions radi Allahu anhum to proceed, in the same state, to the area where the Jews of Madinah resided. When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam arrived in Madinah, these Jews had entered into a pact, agreeing not to participate in any military action against each other. However, secretly, they had already been conspiring against the Muslims, and on this occasion, they openly supported the disbelievers. The Jews participated in this, thinking it would be the final and decisive battle and that the Muslims would be defeated. According to the treaty, the participation of the Jews in this battle was a grave crime. Therefore, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam intended to attack them without delay, and for this reason, he said that the Asr prayer should be performed at Banu Qurayzah. Thus, the relevance between the chapter and the hadith is that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam ordered the Companions radi Allahu anhum to perform the prayer at Banu Qurayzah, because if they stopped anywhere on the way for prayer, it would cause a delay. Some Companions also understood from this that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam’s intent was only to reach Banu Qurayzah as quickly as possible. This proves that, in a state of necessity, both the seeker and the sought may perform prayer on their mounts by gesturing. This is where the relevance between the chapter and the hadith is established.

◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah says:
«ان مطلوب يصلي على دابة يومئي ايماء، وان كان طالبًا نزل فصلي على الارض، قال الشافعي : إلا أن ينقطع عن اصحابه فيخاف عود المطلوب عليه فيجزئه ذالك .» [فتح الباري ج2 ص555]
“Indeed, the sought (the one being pursued by the enemy) should perform prayer on his mount by gesturing, and if he is the seeker (the one pursuing the enemy), then he should dismount and pray on the ground. Imam Shafi’i rahimahullah says that if the seeker fears being left behind by his companions or fears the enemy doubling back, then in that case, it is also permissible for him to pray on his mount.”
Therefore, from the clarification of Hafiz sahib, it is clear that in a state of necessity, performing prayer on a mount by gesturing is correct, as is evident from the hadith and the chapter.

◈ Ibn al-Munir rahimahullah says:
«موضع المطابقة من تاخير احدي الطائفين للصلاة إلى أن غابت الشمس، ووصلوا إلى بني قريظة، فلما جاز لها أن توخر عن الوقت والصلاة فى الوقت مفترضة، وكذالك يجوز ترك اتمام الاركان والانتقال إلى الايماء» [المتواري ص114]
“The correspondence here is that both groups delayed the prayer until the sun had set and they had reached Banu Qurayzah. So, when it was permissible for them to delay the prayer from its appointed time, likewise, omitting standing and praying by gesturing also became permissible.”
From this clarification of Ibn al-Munir rahimahullah, it is understood that when exemption from the pillars and the time is allowed, then necessarily, in a state of necessity, praying by gesturing is also permissible (as we have mentioned in detail earlier in the commentary). Thus, this establishes the relevance between the chapter heading and the hadith, and also strengthens the position of Imam Awza’i rahimahullah.

Benefit:
Did the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam order the Asr prayer to be performed at Banu Qurayzah, or the Dhuhr prayer?
In some narrations of Bukhari and Muslim, the order is for the Dhuhr prayer, and in some narrations, the order is for the Asr prayer. The deniers of hadith do not spare even this point and unjustly criticize the authentic hadiths and create the appearance of contradiction. However, upon investigation, it becomes clear that there is no contradiction in these narrations, because it is possible that before the order was given, some had already performed the Dhuhr prayer and some had not, so those who had not prayed were given the order for Dhuhr, and the other group was given the order for Asr, as narrated by Bukhari. Now, there are four points to consider here:
➊ The order was to perform the Dhuhr prayer at Banu Qurayzah.
➋ Or the order was to perform the Asr prayer at Banu Qurayzah.
➌ Or perhaps a narrator, due to his memory, said Dhuhr instead of Asr.
➍ Or there were two groups: one was ordered to perform Dhuhr, and the other to perform Asr.
Now we will consider these four points.

Dhuhr prayer at Banu Qurayzah:
The mention of the Dhuhr prayer is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma, which Imam Muslim rahimahullah has mentioned in his Sahih, in the Book of Jihad and Expeditions:
«أن لا يصلين أحد الظهر اِلا فى بني قريظة» [صحيح مسلم، كتاب الجهاد والسير، رقم الحديث : 1770]
“That none of you should perform Dhuhr except at Banu Qurayzah.”

◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah writes:
«ووقع فى جميع النسخ عند مسلم ”الظهر“ . . . . . . وقد وافق مسلماً أبويعلي وآخرون، وكذالك أخرجه ابن سعد عن ابي عتبان مالك بن اسمٰعيل عن جويرية بلفظ ”الظهر“ وابن حبان من طريق ابي عتبان كذالك، ولم أره من رواية جويرية اِلا بلفظ ”الظهر“» [فتح الباري ج6 ص519]
“In all the manuscripts of Muslim, the mention is of the Dhuhr prayer, and indeed Abu Ya’la and others have agreed with Imam Muslim, and likewise, Ibn Sa’d narrated from Abu ‘Atban Malik ibn Isma’il from Juwayriyah with the wording of Dhuhr, and Ibn Hibban also transmitted it via Abu ‘Atban with the wording of Dhuhr, and I have not seen any wording from Juwayriyah except ‘Dhuhr’.”

The order for Asr prayer at Banu Qurayzah:
The order for the Asr prayer is found in Sahih al-Bukhari. Imam Nawawi rahimahullah says that Imam Muslim mentioned the Dhuhr prayer, and Imam Bukhari mentioned the order for the Asr prayer. [شرح صحيح مسلم النووي ج12 ص97]

Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah says:
«لا يصلين أحد العصر كذا وقع فى جميع النسخ عند البخاري» [فتح الباري ج6 ص519]
“That you should perform the Asr prayer at Banu Qurayzah—these words are in all the manuscripts of Bukhari.”

Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah further says:
«واما اصحاب المغازي فاتفقوا على انها العصر» [فتح الباري ج6 ص519]
“All the scholars of Maghazi agree that it was the Asr prayer.”

The mention of the Asr prayer is found not only in Sahih al-Bukhari but also in other books of hadith. Imam Bayhaqi rahimahullah (d. 408 AH) mentions in his book:
«عبدالله بن كعب رضى الله عنه اخبره أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لما رجع من طلب الاحزاب وضع عنه الأمة واغتسل، واستجمر فبداله جبريل عليه السلام فقال من ترك من محارب الا أراك قد وضعت اللامة وما وضعناها بعد قال فوثب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فزعًا، فعزم على الناس الا يصلوا صلاة العصر حتيٰ ياتوا بني قريظة» [دلائل النبوة للبيهقي ج4 ص7]
“It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Ka’b radi Allahu anhu that when the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam returned from pursuing and chasing the Ahzab, and he had removed his armor and performed ritual bath (ghusl), and had perfumed himself, suddenly Jibril alayhis salam appeared before him and said: ‘Who has stopped you from fighting and battle? Do I not see that you have removed your armor, while we have not yet removed ours?’ The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam became alarmed and strictly ordered the people not to perform the Asr prayer except at Banu Qurayzah.”
In this narration as well, the mention is of the Asr prayer. This narration is also mentioned by Imam Tabarani and Imam Ibn Kathir in his book “Al-Bidayah wa’l-Nihayah” vol. 4, p. 117, and Imam Abu Nu’aym in “Al-Mustakhraj” via «ابوحفص السلمي عن جويريه» with the mention of the Asr prayer. [فتح الباري ج6 ص519]
Therefore, the order for the Asr prayer is found in Sahih Bukhari. According to our research, the narrator made an error, because the source of the hadiths in Sahih Muslim and Sahih Bukhari is the same. It is possible that the narrator was mistaken. Therefore, the wording of Sahih Bukhari will be given preference. Hafiz rahimahullah says that all the scholars of Maghazi are of the opinion that it was the Asr prayer.

Did a narrator make a mistake in mentioning Dhuhr or Asr?
Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah, clarifying this issue, says:
«فالذي يظهر من تغاير اللفظين أن عبدالله بن محمد بن اسماء شيخ الشيخين فيه لما حدث به البخاري حدث به على هذا اللفظ ولما حدث به الباقين حدثهم به على اللفظ الأخير وهو اللفظ الذى حدث به جويرية . . .» [فتح الباري ج6 ص520]
“I have come to know that the difference in wording is due to the memory and retention of some of its narrators. So, what appears from the difference in the two wordings is that the shaykh of Abdullah ibn Muhammad, the shaykh of the two Shaykhs, narrated the hadith to Imam Bukhari rahimahullah with the wording ‘Asr’, and when he narrated it to others, he used the wording ‘Dhuhr’, or Imam Bukhari rahimahullah wrote it from his memory, not strictly adhering to the wording as is known from their methodology.”
From this clarification of Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah, it is understood that when the shaykh of Abdullah ibn Muhammad narrated to Bukhari rahimahullah, he said ‘Asr’, and when he narrated to Muslim rahimahullah, he said ‘Dhuhr’. Thus, the difference in wording is due to him.

Were there two groups of Companions radi Allahu anhum, one ordered to perform Dhuhr and the other Asr?
Imam Nawawi rahimahullah says:
«اما جمعهم بين الروايتين فى كونها الظهر والعصر فمحمول على أن هذا الأمر كان بعد دخول وقت الظهر، وقد صلى الظهر بالمدينة بعضهم دون بعض، فقيل للذين لم يصلوا الظهر : لا تصلوا الظهر الا فى بني قريظة وللذين صلوا بالمدينة لا تصلوا العصر ولا الظهر اِلا فى بني قريظة، ويحتمل انه قيل للذين ذهبوا أولا : لا تصلوا الظهر اِلا فى بني قريظة، وللذين ذهبوا بعدهم لا تصلوا العصر اِلا فى بنو قريظة» [شرح مسلم النووي ج12 ص98]
“The mention of Dhuhr and Asr in both narrations is based on the fact that the order was given after the entry of Dhuhr time. Certainly, those who had already performed the prayer in Madinah were told not to perform Asr or Dhuhr except at Banu Qurayzah, and those who had not performed Dhuhr were told not to perform Dhuhr except at Banu Qurayzah. It is possible that this was said to those who had already set out: ‘Do not perform Dhuhr except at Banu Qurayzah,’ and to those who left later: ‘Do not perform Asr except at Banu Qurayzah.’”
From this clarification of Imam Nawawi, the best reconciliation between the two hadiths is that there were two groups: one that set out at the time of Dhuhr and was ordered to perform both Dhuhr and Asr at Banu Qurayzah, and the other group was only ordered to perform Asr, because they set out after Dhuhr. Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah also gave a similar reconciliation in Fath al-Bari: one group was ordered to perform Dhuhr at Banu Qurayzah, and the other to perform Asr. The narration of Dhuhr was reported by Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma, and the narration of Asr by Ka’b ibn Malik and Umm A’ishah radi Allahu anhum. For details, refer to: [فتح الباري ج6 ص520]
The summary of this brief discussion is that the army was divided into two parts: one part set out before Dhuhr and was told to perform Dhuhr at Banu Qurayzah, and the other part set out after Dhuhr and was told to perform Asr at Banu Qurayzah. Or it can also be said that there were people in the army who had not performed Dhuhr, so they were told to perform Dhuhr there, and the rest were ordered to perform Asr.
Now, the final question arises: those who performed Asr on the way, did they attain virtue, or those who did not? Imam Ibn Hazm rahimahullah gave preference to performing Asr at Banu Qurayzah itself. He says that if we were there, even if it took years to reach Banu Qurayzah, we would not have performed Asr before reaching there. However, Hafiz Ibn al-Qayyim rahimahullah gave preference to those who performed the prayer on the way. Thus, Ibn al-Qayyim rahimahullah writes:
«بل الذين صلوها فى الطريق فى وقتها حازو اقصب السبق، وكانوا اسعد بالفضيلتين، فانهم بادروا إلى امتثال أمره فى الخروج بادروا أى مرضاته فى الصلاة فى وقتها . . .» [زاد المعاد، ج2 ص113]
“Rather, those who performed the prayer on the way and performed Asr in its time, because they attained two virtues: one, performing the prayer in its time, and the other, participating in jihad. The concern to reach Banu Qurayzah as quickly as possible was also present in them, so they performed the prayer on the way and, upon arrival, immediately began the siege. Therefore, their action is given preference.”
Thus, whichever group attained virtue, in matters of religion, both groups of the noble Companions radi Allahu anhum were pure and sincere, and Allah granted reward to all of them.

◈ Imam Bayhaqi rahimahullah says:
The Companions radi Allahu anhum said:! «وما علينا من اثم، فصلّت طائفه ايمانًا واحتسابا، وتركت طائفة ايمانًا واحتسابا ولم يعب النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم واحد من الفريقين» [دلائل النبوة البيهقي ج4 ص8]
“There was no sin upon us (because) the group that performed the prayer did so with faith and accountability, and the group that did not perform it also did so with faith and accountability, and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not reproach either group.”

◈ Ibn Kathir rahimahullah says:
“Indeed, the scholars differed as to who was correct in their ijtihad that day. Rather, the issue is that both parties were deserving of reward without any blame. A group of scholars said: those who delayed the prayer that day beyond its appointed time until they performed it at Banu Qurayzah, because they were ordered to delay the prayer that day. The specific (order) takes precedence over the general. Another group of scholars said: rather, those who performed the prayer in its time, their understanding was that the best prayer is that which is performed in its time. For this reason, neither group was reproached, nor were they ordered to repeat the prayer...” [البدايه والنهايه، ج4، ص117]

◈ Imam Muhammad ibn Khalifah (d. 827 or 828 AH) writes:
«انما مراده صلى الله عليه وسلم استعجال الخروج لا قصد تأخير الصلاة، فمن أخذ بهذا المفهوم صلى خف فوت الوقت، ومن أخذ بظاهر اللفظ أخر، ففيه حجة للقائلين بالمفهوم وللقائلين بالظاهر»
“The matter is that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam’s intent was to set out quickly, not to delay the prayer. So, whoever understood this meaning performed the prayer out of fear of missing its time, and those who took the apparent wording were the others. Thus, this is evidence for those who deduce from the meaning, and for those who deduce from the apparent (order).”

Benefit Number 2:
It is necessary to remember here the point «المجتهد قد يخطئ ويصيب» that a mujtahid can be correct or mistaken, and even for a mistake, he will not be held accountable, rather he will be deserving of one reward. However, when clear evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah is available, it is obligatory to abandon ijtihad and act upon the Book and Sunnah. There are countless examples among the righteous predecessors that when the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah reached them, they openly abandoned their own opinions and actions and acted upon the Qur’an and Sunnah.

◈ Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawzi rahimahullah acted upon one thing for fourteen years. After fourteen years, when he learned of the weakness of that hadith, he immediately abandoned his practice.

Imam Abu Yusuf, who was the distinguished student of Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah, mentioned the hadith of «بيع الوقوف» and said: if «بيع الوقوف» had reached Imam Abu Hanifah, he would have retracted. [سبل السلام، ج4، ص187]
This shows that Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah also possessed the quality of retraction, and if his fatwa is contrary to the Qur’an and Sunnah, it should be abandoned. This is the correct position, and the four Imams rahimahumullah also taught the same.

Hadith Commentary:
Talib refers to the one who sets out in search of the enemy, while matlub refers to the one whom the enemy is seeking.
This incident took place when the Battle of Ahzab had ended and the disbelievers had departed in failure. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) immediately ordered the Mujahideen to proceed, in their current state, to the locality of Banu Qurayzah, where the Jews of Madinah resided. When the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) arrived in Madinah, these Jews had, under a treaty, pledged not to participate in any military action against each other.
However, the Jews had previously been conspiring against the Muslims in secret, and on this occasion, they openly supported the disbelievers.
The Jews participated in this, thinking that this would be the final and decisive battle and that the Muslims’ defeat was certain.
According to the treaty, the participation of the Jews in this battle was a grave crime. Therefore, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) intended to attack them without any delay, and for this reason, he said that the Asr prayer should be performed upon reaching Banu Qurayzah, because if they stopped anywhere along the way for prayer, it would cause a delay. Thus, some of the Companions (radi Allahu anhum) understood from this that the purpose of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was simply to reach Banu Qurayzah as quickly as possible.
From this, it is established that, in a state of necessity, both the pursuer (talib) and the pursued (matlub) may perform prayer on their mounts by means of gestures. This is the view of Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah). According to Imam Shafi’i and Imam Ahmad (rahimahullah), the one being pursued by the enemy may, for his own protection, perform prayer on his mount by means of gestures, but the one pursuing the enemy may not do so. Imam Malik (rahimahullah) said that it is permissible for the pursuer only when there is fear that the enemy might escape.
Walid, following the view of Imam Awza’i (rahimahullah), used the hadith:
“La yusalliyanna ahadukum al-asr illa fi Bani Qurayzah” as evidence, arguing that the Companions were the pursuers (talib) of Banu Qurayzah, i.e., they were after them, and Banu Qurayzah were the pursued (matlub), and the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not mind if the prayer was missed.
When it was permissible for the pursuer to miss the prayer, then, a fortiori, it would be permissible to perform it on the mount by means of gestures. This is why the reasoning of Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) from this hadith is correct.
Among the Companions who reached Banu Qurayzah, each acted according to his own ijtihad and opinion. Some thought that the purpose of the Messenger of Allah’s (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) command was to go quickly and not to stop along the way; otherwise, why would we miss the prayer? So they performed the prayer on their mounts. Others thought that fulfilling the command was necessary, and since prayer is also performed for the pleasure of Allah and His Messenger, if there is a delay in prayer due to complying with the command, then we would not be sinful (in short),
Both groups had good intentions, so neither was deserving of blame.
It is understood from this that if a mujtahid reflects and then errs in his ijtihad, he will not be held accountable for it.
Nawawi said that there is consensus on this.
This does not mean that every mujtahid is correct.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
Walid bin Muslim presented the aforementioned incident as evidence in support of Imam Awza‘i’s position. Imam Bukhari rahimahullah first mentioned this incident in a suspended (mu‘allaq) form and then narrated it with a connected chain so that the authenticity of the hadith and the validity of the inference could be established.

The incident is as follows: When the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam returned from the Battle of the Trench (Ghazwat al-Khandaq), he removed his weapons. Angel Jibril alayhis salam arrived and said, “We have not yet laid down our arms because we intend to deal with Banu Qurayza.” They had assisted the enemy in a hypocritical manner, so the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam also prepared to finish their affair. Then he instructed the noble Companions radi Allahu anhum as mentioned in the hadith above.

Those whom the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam ordered to depart were attackers, and he instructed them to reach there quickly. Although the narration does not explicitly state whether they dismounted to pray or performed the prayer while mounted, the requirement to arrive quickly suggests that they likely prayed on their mounts.

Walid bin Muslim deduced from the silence (of the narration), because the hadith does not explicitly mention whether the prayer was performed mounted or after dismounting. ‘Allamah ‘Ayni mentioned the relevance of this hadith to the chapter heading in these words: The person in question may perform the prayer by gesturing, even though it is obligatory for him to perform bowing (ruku‘) and prostration (sujud) in their proper form, just as it was necessary for the noble Companions radi Allahu anhum to pray on time, but they, in compliance with the command, delayed it and performed it upon reaching Banu Qurayza. (Umdat al-Qari: 5/147)

(2)
Regarding the prayer of an attacker, a narration is reported in these words: The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam dispatched ‘Abdullah bin Unays radi Allahu anhu to finish off Khalid bin Sufyan al-Hudhali. He says: When I saw him, the time for ‘Asr prayer had already arrived. I feared that it would lapse, so I performed the prayer by gesturing while walking, because if I had stopped and prayed with composure, I feared the enemy would escape. Thus, I killed him. (Sunan Abi Dawud, Salat al-Safar, Hadith: 1249)

Imam Abu Dawud rahimahullah established the chapter heading “The Prayer of the Attacker” for this hadith. Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah graded its chain as hasan (sound). (Fath al-Bari: 2/584)

(3)
Some of the noble Companions radi Allahu anhum understood the command of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to mean that they should reach quickly without stopping anywhere along the way, so they did not shorten the prayer (qasr) and performed it on their mounts. Meanwhile, other Companions radi Allahu anhum took his instruction at face value, that even if the prayer was delayed in compliance with the command, they would not be sinful.

Since the intentions of both groups were correct, none of them was blameworthy.

Hadith Commentary:
"Jews" is the name of such a treacherous and unfaithful nation that, on most occasions, has shown disloyalty even to their own prophets and messengers.
The Jews of today, who have established the Israeli government and are sitting in usurping occupation of the land of Palestine, are a living example of their inherent treachery and unfaithfulness.
It was due to this very expediency that Allah Ta'ala cleared the land of Hijaz from this treacherous nation.

Hadith Commentary:
1.
Two general reasons are mentioned for the expulsion of the Jews of Banu Nadir from Madinah Tayyibah:
➊.
After the incident of Bi’r Ma‘unah, ‘Amr bin Umayyah Damri killed two men, even though their tribe had a pact with the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) planned to pay their blood money (diyah).
In this regard, he went to Banu Nadir, who outwardly expressed willingness, but secretly plotted to eliminate him from existence. However, Allah, through Jibril (alayhis salam), informed him, so he returned to Madinah Tayyibah. Then he marched against them and expelled them.
Allah the Exalted has alluded to this incident in Surah al-Ma’idah (Ayah: 11) .
➋.
Banu Nadir sent a message to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) that your three scholars should debate with our three scholars.
If, during the debate, our scholars are convinced by your scholars, we will become Muslim. But secretly, the plot was that our three men would conceal daggers and kill the three Muslim scholars.
A woman informed of this plot, so the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said to Banu Nadir that your conspiracy has been exposed.
Now you have only ten days’ respite.
Thus, they were expelled.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (rahimahullah) has considered this to be strong.
(Fath al-Bari: 7/414)
In any case, all the scholars of Maghazi agree that the expulsion of Banu Nadir took place after the Battle of Uhud, whereas Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) says that this incident occurred before the Battle of Uhud.
And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
When the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) returned successfully from the Battle of the Trench (Ghazwah al-Khandaq), Angel Jibril (alayhis salam) came at the time of Dhuhr and said that Allah Ta’ala’s command for you is that you should immediately proceed towards Banu Qurayzah.
You (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) then ordered Bilal (radi Allahu anhu) to announce: “Whoever is a listener and obedient, let him not perform the Asr prayer except in Banu Qurayzah.”
That is, for every listening and obedient Muslim, it is necessary that he performs the Asr prayer upon reaching Banu Qurayzah.

Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullah) said in al-Hadi: The summary is that each of the two groups attained what was their intention, except that whoever prayed (on the way) attained both virtues: fulfilling the command to hasten and fulfilling the command to preserve the prayer time, especially since in this particular prayer (Asr) there is special emphasis on preserving it, and whoever missed it, his deeds are nullified. And those who delayed it were not reproached, for their excuse was valid in adhering to the apparent meaning of the command; they exercised ijtihad and delayed (the prayer) in order to fulfill the command, but their ijtihad did not reach the level of being more correct than the ijtihad of the other group, etc. The majority have deduced from this that one who exercises ijtihad is not sinful, because the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not reproach either of the two groups. If there had been sin, he would have reproached the one who sinned. (Fath al-Bari)

In summary, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) announced that whoever is a listening and obedient Muslim, it is his duty to perform the Asr prayer only in Banu Qurayzah.

Allamah Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullah) has said in Zad al-Ma’ad that both groups became deserving of reward.
However, the one who performed the prayer on the way, at its appointed time, attained both virtues:
The first virtue is performing the Asr prayer at its earliest time, because there is special emphasis on performing this prayer at its appointed time, to the extent that whoever misses the Asr prayer, his deeds are nullified.
Thus, this group attained the reward of praying at the earliest time and then reaching Banu Qurayzah, and the other group, which delayed the Asr prayer and acted upon the apparent command of the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), was not criticized, because they, through their ijtihad, delayed the prayer in order to act upon the command of the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and performed it only upon reaching Banu Qurayzah.
Their ijtihad was closer to being correct than that of the first group.
From this, the majority have deduced that one who exercises ijtihad is not sinful (even if he errs in his ijtihad),
because the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not criticize either group.
If any of them had been considered sinful, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would certainly have warned him.
The writer says that on this basis, the principle is established that “the mujtahid may be correct or mistaken” (al-mujtahid qad yukhti’ wa yusib); a mujtahid can be both correct and mistaken, and even in error he cannot be declared sinful. However, when he becomes aware of his ijtihadi error from the Qur’an and Hadith, it becomes obligatory for him to abandon his ijtihad and act upon the Book and Sunnah. For this reason, the mujtahid Imams of the Ummah, the four Imams (rahimahumullah), have clearly stated in their wills that if our ijtihadi fatwas contradict the Book and Sunnah anywhere, then give precedence to the Book and Sunnah and abandon our erroneous ijtihadi fatwas.
But it is unfortunate that their followers, setting aside this valuable advice, have become so rigid in their imitation that today the four madhhabs appear as separate religions and separate communities.
Therefore, it has been said:
“They made the true religion into four madhhabs.”
Now, as the fourteenth century is coming to an end, it is obligatory upon Muslims to end these artificial divisions and establish unity of the Ummah upon the kalimah, the Qur’an, and the qiblah. Otherwise, the situation is so critical that as a result of this division and disunity, Muslims will be destroyed and ruined even further.
And upon us is only the clear conveyance. And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

Hadith Commentary:
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When the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) returned successfully from the Battle of the Trench (Ghazwah Khandaq), Jibril (alayhis salam) came at the time of Dhuhr and said:
The command of Allah for you is that you immediately march against Banu Qurayzah. Accordingly, you ordered Bilal (radi Allahu anhu) to announce that whoever is accustomed to obedience and compliance should perform the Asr prayer upon reaching Banu Qurayzah.
Both groups—those who prayed on the way and those who did not—became deserving of reward, but those who performed the prayer at its time during the journey attained two virtues:
One, performing the Asr prayer at its prescribed time, and the other, reaching Banu Qurayzah on time. As for the other group, they, in light of the apparent command of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), performed the Asr prayer with delay, so no criticism was directed at them either.
(Fath al-Bari: 7/512)
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It is mentioned in Sahih Muslim that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) gave the command regarding the Dhuhr prayer that it should be performed upon reaching Banu Qurayzah.
(Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Jihad wa’l-Siyar, Hadith: 4602)
There is no contradiction in these narrations because those who had already performed the Dhuhr prayer were instructed to perform the Asr prayer upon reaching Banu Qurayzah, and those who had not yet performed the Dhuhr prayer were commanded to perform the Dhuhr prayer upon reaching Banu Qurayzah.
(Fath al-Bari: 7/511)
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From this hadith, it is also understood that both correct and incorrect judgments can be issued by a mujtahid, and if an error occurs, he is not to be considered sinful. However, when he comes to know of his ijtihadi mistake from the Qur’an and Hadith, it becomes necessary for him to abandon his ijtihad and act upon the Book and Sunnah.
And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: Regarding the prayer which the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam ordered to be performed at the place of Banu Qurayzah, there is a difference of opinion concerning its specification. In the narration of Imam Bukhari, it is ‘Asr (afternoon prayer), and here in Muslim, it is Zuhr (noon prayer). Therefore, some scholars are of the opinion that some people still had to perform the Zuhr prayer or they got ready quickly, so the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam ordered them to perform the Zuhr prayer at the place of Banu Qurayzah. And some people performed the Zuhr prayer with the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, so he ordered them to perform the ‘Asr prayer there. And when these people set out, the time for prayer arrived on the way.

Therefore, some of the Companions said, “We should perform the prayer here, for by the time we reach Banu Qurayzah, the time for prayer will have passed. The command is to perform the prayer at its appointed time, and the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam’s intention was that you should reach there quickly without delay, and not pay attention to any other task. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not intend that if the time for prayer comes on the way, you should not perform the prayer.” Therefore, these people performed the prayer.

But the other Companions said, “Since the explicit command of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is to perform the prayer upon reaching Banu Qurayzah, we will perform the prayer there, even if the time passes.” Therefore, they performed the prayer upon reaching Banu Qurayzah.

When this was reported to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he did not rebuke or censure any group, which proves that if there is a difference of opinion in a matter with sincerity and there is room for ijtihad (independent juristic reasoning), then neither party is blameworthy, even though only one opinion is correct, because both based their opinions on some evidence and proof.

The first group both hastened and observed the appointed time of prayer, and the second group adhered to the apparent wording of your statement.

Hadith Footnote:

Benefits and Issues:
The incident of the exile of Banu Nadir has already been mentioned. The mention of Banu Qurayzah is coming in the next chapter, and the incident of Banu Qaynuqa is as follows: After the Battle of Badr, an Arab woman came to the market with trade goods and sat down at the shop of a goldsmith. He said to her, "Uncover your face." She refused. Upon this, the goldsmith tied the lower edge of her garment to the back without her noticing. When she stood up, she became exposed, and they began to laugh. She started screaming and shouting, upon which a Muslim attacked the goldsmith and killed him. In retaliation, the Jews attacked the Muslim and killed him. After this, the heirs of the slain Muslim raised an outcry, and thus fighting broke out between the Muslims and Banu Qaynuqa. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) besieged them for the last fifteen days of Shawwal in the 2nd year of Hijrah. Allah, the Exalted, cast terror into their hearts, so they surrendered on the condition that whatever decision the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) made regarding their lives, wealth, children, and women, they would accept it. After this, by the order of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), all of them were bound. However, in the end, due to the extremely harsh and undue insistence of Abdullah bin Ubayy the hypocrite, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) let them go and ordered them to leave Madinah. (For details, see Al-Raheeq Al-Makhtum.)

Benefits and Issues:
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Faith (iman) and Islam grant a person security of life, wealth, and honor in this world, and will be the cause of eternal security in the Hereafter.

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From the biography of Abdullah bin Salam (radi Allahu anhu), it becomes clear that when faith (iman) penetrates the depths of the heart, the importance of temporary worldly pleasures and tribal or ethnic partisanship disappears. Then, no one remains more beloved than the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).