Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that (on a journey) we camped with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) for rest during the last part of the night, but we did not wake up until the sun had risen. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) then ordered that everyone should take hold of the head of his mount (and move from that place), because Satan had come to us at this place and made us neglectful (of the prayer). (So after moving ahead a little) the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked for water and performed ablution, offered the two Sunnah (units) of (Fajr), then the Iqamah was called and he led us in the morning prayer. I have narrated this incident at places other than this as well, in which there is mention of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) oversleeping the morning prayer until the sun had risen.

Sayyiduna Bara’ bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that I accompanied the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) on eighteen journeys—I never saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) leaving two rak‘ahs at the time of the sun’s decline (zawal) during these journeys. In the narration of Yunus bin Abdullah, the words are: I never saw him (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) leaving two rak‘ahs before Zuhr.

Imam Sahib, may Allah have mercy on him, says that the people of Kufa have narrated a strange (astonishing, remarkable) thing from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both. I fear that it may not be permissible to narrate it unless its reason is explained. This strange thing is not in the text but rather in the chain of this story. The people of Kufa have narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, through the intermediaries of Hazrat Nafi’ and Atiyyah bin Sa’d al-‘Awfi, that he said: I have performed prayers with the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, both in residence and on journey. So, I performed with him, peace and blessings be upon him, in residence, the Zuhr prayer of four rak‘ahs and after it two rak‘ahs; the ‘Asr prayer of four rak‘ahs and after it nothing; the Maghrib prayer of three rak‘ahs and after it two rak‘ahs; the ‘Isha prayer of four rak‘ahs and after it two rak‘ahs; and the Fajr prayer of two rak‘ahs and before it also two rak‘ahs. And in journey, I performed with him, peace and blessings be upon him, the Zuhr prayer of two rak‘ahs and after it also two rak‘ahs; the ‘Asr prayer of two rak‘ahs and after it no prayer; the Maghrib prayer of three rak‘ahs and after it two rak‘ahs, and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “These are the witr of the day. They are not lessened in residence or in journey.” And the ‘Isha prayer of two rak‘ahs and after it also two rak‘ahs; the morning prayer of two rak‘ahs and before it also two rak‘ahs (sunnah). Imam Sahib says that this narration has been related to us by Abu al-Khattab from Malik bin Sa‘id from Ibn Abi Layla, and he narrates from Nafi’ and Atiyyah bin Sa’d al-‘Awfi from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both. This narration has been narrated by a group of the people of Kufa from Atiyyah from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both. Among them are Ash‘ath bin Sawwar, Firas, and Hajjaj bin Arta’ah. Some of these narrators narrate it briefly and some narrate the complete hadith in detail. This hadith cannot remain hidden from any muhaddith that it has been wrongly attributed to Sayyiduna Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both. Because Sayyiduna Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, used to refuse to perform nafl prayers during travel and used to say that if I were to perform nafl, then I should have performed the obligatory prayer in full. He also said that I have seen the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, that he did not perform any prayer before or after the obligatory prayer during travel.

Abdullah bin Saraqah narrates that I heard Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) saying: I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) during a journey, and he would not perform (nafl) prayers before or after the obligatory prayer.

It is narrated from Uthman bin Abdullah bin Saraqah that he saw Hafs bin Asim performing voluntary (nafl) prayers during a journey, and in that journey, Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) was also with him. So it was said to him that your maternal uncle (Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both) forbids this. So I asked Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) about this, and he said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he did not do this. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would not perform (nafl) prayers before or after the obligatory prayers. I asked: Can I perform (nafl) prayers at night? He replied: Perform as many (nafl) prayers at night as you wish.

Isa bin Hafs bin Asim says that my respected father, Hafs bin Asim (may Allah have mercy on him), narrated to me that I was on a journey with Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), and he performed two rak'ahs for the Zuhr and Asr prayers. Then he went towards his carpet or mat and saw some people offering voluntary (nafl) prayers. He asked, "What are these people doing?" I replied, "They are offering nafl prayers." He said, "If I had to offer (nafl) prayers before or after this (obligatory prayer), I would have completed the (obligatory) prayer itself. I remained in the company of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) until his death, and he never offered more than two rak'ahs (in travel). And I also kept the company of Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman (may Allah be pleased with them), and they too performed (only the obligatory two rak'ahs) in this manner." These are the words of the hadith of Yahya bin Hakim. Imam Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) says that Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) used to prohibit offering nafl prayers after the obligatory prayer during travel and used to say, "If I had to offer nafl prayers, I would have completed the obligatory prayer." Therefore, how is it possible that he would have seen the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) offering two rak'ahs of sunnah after the obligatory Zuhr prayer during travel, and then prohibit someone who acts according to the action of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)? Hazrat Salim and Hafs bin Asim (may Allah have mercy on him) are more knowledgeable and have better memory of the hadith of Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) than Atiyyah bin Sa'd (and their narrations are as follows, which are contrary to the narrations of Atiyyah).

Hazrat Salim bin Abdullah (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) would not perform any voluntary (nafl) prayers before or after the obligatory (fard) prayer while traveling, until it was midnight, then he would get up and perform voluntary prayers. And he never abandoned the night prayer (tahajjud) at night.

Hafs bin Asim bin Umar bin Khattab (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that he asked Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) about not offering voluntary (nafl) prayers during travel. Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) replied, "If I were to offer voluntary prayers, then I would have completed my obligatory prayers." Imam Zuhri says that he asked Hazrat Salim, "Did you ask Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) the same question that Hafs bin Asim asked him?" Hazrat Salim replied, "No, indeed we used to fear asking him about some issues." Imam Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) says that the narrations of Salim and Hafs indicate that the narration of Atiyyah bin Sa’d from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) is mistaken. And Ibn Abi Layla made a mistake in combining Nafi’ and Atiyyah in narrating from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) regarding voluntary prayers during travel. However, this issue belongs to the same category about which we have already stated that the denial of something by a narrator cannot be taken as evidence against its affirmation. If Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) did not see the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) offering voluntary prayers during travel, then other companions did see the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) offering voluntary prayers during travel. Therefore, preference will be given to the hadith of the companion who saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) (performing voluntary prayers), not to the narration of the companion who did not see the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) (offering voluntary prayers during travel). I have mentioned this issue at several places in my books.