Ibn Hibban

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) led us in one of the noon prayers. I think it was the Zuhr prayer. He led us in two rak‘ahs (and then gave salam). Then he came and stood by a piece of wood placed in the direction of the qiblah in the mosque, and he placed both his hands on it, one hand over the other. The hasty people left (the mosque), saying, “The prayer has been shortened.” Among those present were Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), but due to awe, they did not say anything to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The narrator says: Among those present was a man whose hands were perhaps short or perhaps long. He was called Dhu’l-Yadayn. He said, “O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! Has the prayer been shortened, or have you forgotten?” The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The prayer has not been shortened, and I have not forgotten.” He said, “Perhaps you have forgotten.” The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) asked, “Is Dhu’l-Yadayn speaking the truth?” The people replied, “Yes.” So the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) led us in two rak‘ahs, then gave salam, then said takbir and performed a prostration like his usual prostrations, or perhaps a little longer, then he raised his head, then said takbir and performed a prostration like his usual prostrations, or perhaps a little longer, then he raised his head and said takbir. The narrator says: I have been informed, this narration is transmitted from Sayyiduna ‘Imran bin Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him), and in it are also these words: Then he gave salam. (Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:) These three narrations confuse the one who does not have expertise in the science of hadith, and he believes that they contradict each other. In the narration transmitted from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), it is mentioned that Sayyiduna Dhu’l-Yadayn (may Allah be pleased with him) informed the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) of this. In the narration transmitted from Sayyiduna ‘Imran bin Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him), it is mentioned that Sayyiduna Khirbaq (may Allah be pleased with him) said this. In the narration transmitted from Sayyiduna Mu‘awiyah bin Khudayj (may Allah be pleased with him), it is mentioned that Sayyiduna Talhah bin ‘Ubaydullah (may Allah be pleased with him) informed the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) about this. However, there is no contradiction or difference in these narrations. The reason is that in the narration transmitted about Sayyiduna Dhu’l-Yadayn (may Allah be pleased with him), it is mentioned that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) gave salam after praying two rak‘ahs of Zuhr or ‘Asr prayer. In the narration transmitted from Sayyiduna ‘Imran bin Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him), it is mentioned that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) gave salam after praying three rak‘ahs of Zuhr or ‘Asr prayer. In the narration transmitted from Sayyiduna Mu‘awiyah bin Khudayj (may Allah be pleased with him), it is mentioned that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) gave salam after praying two rak‘ahs of Maghrib prayer. So what we have mentioned guides us to the fact that these are three different incidents regarding three different prayers. It is not that all three narrations are about the same prayer.