Nasai

1367. Commentary:

➊ The actual purpose of the chapter is to refute the opinion of some jurists who say that if one has not performed the prayer, he should not say: "I have not prayed," but rather say: "I still have to pray." This is because the first statement reflects a kind of indifference, whereas the second statement acknowledges one's shortcoming and expresses the intention to make amends. The Imam's view is that it is permissible to say it in this way as well. This hadith is evidence for that.

➋ It is legislated to perform missed prayers in congregation. Furthermore, if there are multiple missed prayers, they should be performed in order. And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
The chapter heading is derived from this hadith, which shows that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was so occupied with battle that he did not have any opportunity at all to perform the prayer, so he delayed the prayer.

Qastallani (rahimahullah) said: It is possible that up to that time, the ruling regarding the prayer of fear (salat al-khawf) had not yet been revealed.

Or, it may be that the thought of prayer did not occur to him, or that it did occur to him but he did not get the opportunity to perform purification (taharah).

And it has been said:
He (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) deliberately delayed it, because this was before the revelation of the prayer of fear (salat al-khawf). This is the view of the majority, as stated by Ibn Rushd, and Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullah) affirmed this view in Zad al-Ma'ad, and Hafiz Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bari, and Qurtubi in his commentary on Muslim, and Qadi Iyad in al-Shifa, and Zayla'i in Nasb al-Rayah, and Ibn al-Qassar. And this is the preferred view according to us. (Mirqat al-Mafatih, vol. 2, p. 318)

That is, it has been said (due to the intensity of the battle)
the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) deliberately delayed the Asr prayer, because at that time the ruling of the prayer of fear (salat al-khawf) had not yet been revealed.

According to Ibn Rushd, this is the view of the majority, and Allamah Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullah) has affirmed this view in Zad al-Ma'ad, and Hafiz Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bari, and Qurtubi in his commentary on Muslim, and Qadi Iyad in al-Shifa, and Zayla'i in Nasb al-Rayah, and Ibn al-Qassar have all given preference to this view. And Hazrat Maulana Ubaidullah Sahib, Shaykh al-Hadith, author of Mirqat al-Mafatih, states that according to us as well, this view is preferred.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
On the occasion of the Battle of Khandaq, there are several possible reasons for the delaying of the ‘Asr prayer, the details of which are as follows:
٭ It may have happened due to forgetfulness or oversight, such that the thought of performing the prayer did not occur.
٭ It was done deliberately due to the following reasons:
٭ Because of military engagements, there was no opportunity to perform the prayer.
٭ Due to the severity of the situation, there was no time available for ablution (wudu).
٭ The rulings of the prayer of fear (salat al-khawf) had not yet been revealed.
According to Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, the rulings of the prayer of fear had already been revealed, but due to military engagements, there was no opportunity to perform the prayer in congregation or individually, nor was there the ability to perform it by gesture, and for this reason, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam delayed the ‘Asr prayer.

(2)
From this, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has established that if, due to military engagements, it is not possible to perform the prayer in congregation, then each person should perform it individually by gesture.
If it is not possible to perform the prayer by gesture, then the prayer should be delayed and one should wait for the circumstances to become favorable.
In such situations, tasbih (glorification), tahlil (proclamation of Allah’s oneness), and takbir (proclamation of Allah’s greatness), etc., will not serve as substitutes for performing the prayer.
And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
By bringing this chapter, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has refuted Ibrahim al-Nakha’i rahimahullah, who considered it disliked (makruh) to say, “We have not prayed.” Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah states that Ibrahim regarded this statement as disliked for the person who is waiting for the prayer, because he is, as it were, already in the prayer.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah sometimes establishes a chapter heading whose apparent benefit is not immediately evident, as is said regarding this heading, but upon reflection, its importance becomes clear. Previously, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah had mentioned regarding Ibn Sirin rahimahullah that he disliked the words, “Our prayer has been missed.” Similarly, Imam Ibrahim al-Nakha’i rahimahullah says that saying, “We did not pray,” is disliked (makruh), because it reflects a kind of indifference. Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has refuted this position and established that, when necessary, there is no harm in uttering such words. Although, according to the mentioned narration, Umar radi Allahu anhu did not use these words, his statement, in terms of meaning and result, conveys the same as (ma sallaytu) “I did not pray.” In reality, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah’s point of inference is based on the wording of another narration in which Umar radi Allahu anhu explicitly used the words (ma sallaytu). (Sahih al-Bukhari, Salat al-Khawf, Hadith: 945) In the mentioned narration as well, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used the words (ma sallaytu).

(2)
Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi rahimahullah writes in the explanation of Bukhari’s chapter headings that Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, through this, wishes to teach the refinement of speech, but if the inference had been drawn from the statement of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, (wallahi ma sallaytuha), it would have been more appropriate. Allamah Ibn Battal rahimahullah has written regarding Imam al-Nakha’i rahimahullah that he considered such words disliked (makruh) for a person who is waiting for the prayer, because according to the hadith, the one waiting for prayer is considered to be in prayer itself; therefore, he should not say, “I did not pray,” because this would entail denying something that the Shari’ah has established. (Sharh Ibn Battal: 1/267) It is possible that Imam Bukhari rahimahullah considered the use of such words permissible for a person who missed the prayer out of forgetfulness or was unable to pray due to emergency or wartime circumstances; such a person may say, “I did not pray.” Imam Ibrahim al-Nakha’i rahimahullah also does not hold its dislike (karahah) in an absolute sense. And Allah knows best.

Benefit:

See the explanation of this hadith (596). Apparently, there seems to be no benefit to this chapter, but in reality, through such chapters, Imam Bukhari is refuting the statement of some person, just as previously he refuted Ibn Sirin’s statement with a hadith that “we missed the prayer.” Here, in Fath al-Bari, the statement of Ibrahim al-Nakha’i is mentioned, that it is disliked to say, “We did not pray.” In his view, this expresses indifference towards the prayer. Here, there is a question: in the chapter heading it says, “A man saying to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam,” whereas in this hadith, it was not a man who said this to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, but rather the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said to a man (‘Umar radi Allahu anhu): «وَاللهِ ! مَا صَلَّيْتُهَا» “By Allah! I too have not prayed.” The answer to this is that it is Imam Bukhari rahimahullah’s habit to allude to another route of the hadith, so in Sahih Bukhari, in this very hadith, it is mentioned that ‘Umar radi Allahu anhu said these words to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam: «يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ مَا صَلَّيْتُ الْعَصْرَ حَتَّى كَادَتِ الشَّمْسُ أَنْ تَغِيْبَ» [بخاري: 945] “O Messenger of Allah! I have not prayed ‘Asr until the sun was about to set.” In summary, there is no harm in saying, “We have not prayed,” especially since in this hadith, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam himself used these words.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
There is explicit clarification regarding the "Salat al-Wusta" (the middle prayer) that what is meant by it is the Asr prayer.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was so distressed at missing this prayer that he supplicated against the polytheists.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Da'awat, Hadith: 6396)
In one narration it is mentioned:
The polytheists kept the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) occupied from performing the prayers of Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha, so he combined all these prayers in order and performed them together.
(Sunan al-Nasa'i, Kitab al-Adhan, Hadith: 663)
➋
The reconciliation between these various narrations is that the Battle of the Trench (Khandaq) continued for several days; on some days, all five prayers were missed, and on some days, the Asr prayer could not be performed at its proper time.
(Sharh Nawawi: 5/111)