Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah

The intention of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was to prohibit some voluntary prayers, not to prohibit all voluntary prayers. And I have already mentioned in the previous chapter that by this, the intention of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was also not to prohibit the obligatory prayer.

It is narrated from Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed two rak‘ahs after ‘Asr because he had not been able to pray any (Sunnah or Nafl) prayer after the Zuhr prayer.

Lady Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to me after the Asr prayer and performed two rak‘ahs. I asked, “O Messenger of Allah, which prayer is this? You do not usually perform this prayer.” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: “A delegation from Banu Tamim had come to me and they kept me busy from performing these two rak‘ahs which I usually perform after the Zuhr prayer.” I have mentioned the chains of this narration in Kitab al-Kabir. Imam Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) says that therefore the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed two rak‘ahs of Sunnah after the Asr prayer. He was making up for those two rak‘ahs which he used to perform after Zuhr. And if the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had prohibited the performance of all voluntary prayers after Asr until sunset, then it would not have been permissible for him to make up those two rak‘ahs after Asr which he used to perform after Zuhr. Undoubtedly, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed these two rak‘ahs as a voluntary act out of consistency and as a recommended practice, because he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Indeed, the best of deeds are those done consistently.” And whenever the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did any deed, he liked to do it consistently.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he asked Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) about those two rak‘ahs which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform in her house after ‘Asr. She replied that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer those two rak‘ahs before ‘Asr. Then he became occupied or forgot to perform them, so he performed them after ‘Asr. After that, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) always performed those two rak‘ahs, and whenever he (peace and blessings be upon him) performed any (nafl) prayer, he would always be consistent and regular in it.

In the narration of Yazid bin Aswad As-Suwa’i, it is mentioned that after performing the Fajr prayer, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said to two men: “When you have performed the prayer at your residences and then you come (to the mosque) while the Imam is leading the prayer, then pray with him; it will become a voluntary (nafl) prayer for you. I will soon narrate this hadith in full detail, InshaAllah.” Imam Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) says that in this narration, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) commanded the person who had already performed the Fajr prayer at his residence to pray with the Imam. The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated that his prayer with the Imam would become nafl for him. Therefore, if the prohibition of praying after Fajr until sunrise was general and not specific, then it would not be permissible for the one who had already performed Fajr at his residence to perform the Fajr prayer again with the Imam as a nafl prayer. Also, the ahadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) state that soon there will be rulers and leaders appointed over you who will delay the prayers from their prescribed times, so you should perform the prayer at its time and consider the prayer you perform with them as nafl. This is evidence that when the Imam delays the Asr or Fajr prayer, or both, it is obligatory for a person to perform both prayers at their prescribed times, then also perform them with the Imam, and consider the prayer performed with the Imam as nafl. And this will be a nafl prayer after Fajr and Asr. And previously, I have also written the hadith of Qais bin Qahd, which is of the same kind. And the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) forbade Banu Abd Manaf and Banu Abdul Muttalib from preventing anyone from praying in the House of Allah at any hour of the day or night.

Sayyiduna Jubayr bin Mut'im (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he (peace be upon him) said: "O Banu Abd Manaf, O Banu Abd al-Muttalib, if you have been given any responsibility or authority from the management and administration of the House of Allah, then let me never hear that you have prevented any person from praying in this House of Allah at any hour of the day or night." These are the words of the narration of Ibn Jurayj. Whereas the words of Ahmad bin Maqdam are: "If you have been given any responsibility from this management and administration." And he said: "At whatever hour of the night or day (he wishes, let him pray.)"