Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 2950

Abbad bin Abdullah bin al-Zubayr narrated: When Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah came to us to perform Hajj and we arrived in Makkah, he led us in the Zuhr prayer with two rak'ahs; then, after finishing the prayer, he went to Dar al-Nadwah. He related: When Sayyiduna Uthman al-Ghani (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Makkah, he would offer the complete prayer, and there he led the Zuhr, Asr and Isha prayers with four rak'ahs each; when he went out to Mina and Arafat he would shorten the prayer; when he had finished the Hajj and stayed at Mina, he would offer the complete prayer until he departed from there. When Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah led us in two rak'ahs, Marwan bin al-Hakam and Amr bin Uthman went to him and said to him: "No one has ever objected to your cousin in the way that you have objected to him." Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah asked them: "Woe to you both! Should I have done anything other than what I did? I offered two rak'ahs behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), behind Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and behind Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)." The two of them said: "He (that is, Sayyiduna Uthman al-Ghani (may Allah be pleased with him)) used to offer the complete prayer, and by going against him you have made it an objection against him." The narrator said: Then Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah came out for the Asr prayer, and he led us in the Asr prayer with four rak'ahs.
Imam Ahmad recorded it, and Imam al-Tabarani recorded part of it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir; the narrators of Imam Ahmad have been declared trustworthy.