´Al-Bara bin Azib said:` "I accompanied the Messenger of Allah on eighteen journeys, and I did not see him leave the two Rak'ah when the sun waned before Zuhr."
Hadith Referenceسنن ترمذي / أبواب السفر / 550
Hadith Gradingالألبانی:ضعيف، ضعيف أبي داود (222) // عندنا برقم (263 / 1222) //
1؎ : All other scholars have declared him to be unknown (majhool), and the narration of an unknown (majhool) narrator is weak.
2؎ : This is a narration from Sahih al-Bukhari.
3؎ : The most authentic and clear hadith on this subject is that of Ibn ‘Umar, which has passed under number 544. The evidence of Ibn ‘Umar radi Allahu anhuma is both textual (naqli) and rational (‘aqli): firstly, that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and Abu Bakr and ‘Umar radi Allahu anhuma did not perform the regular Sunnah (sunnah ratibah) prayers; secondly, if the regular Sunnah were to be performed, the very purpose of reducing the obligatory (fard) prayers would be lost. If the regular Sunnah is to be performed, then what is the meaning of reducing the obligatory prayers? As for the fact that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performed Duha and other prayers during some journeys, then, in times of opportunity, everyone agrees upon performing general voluntary (nafl) prayers.
4؎ : Everyone agrees upon performing general voluntary (nafl) prayers, but the ahadith regarding the regular Sunnah (sunan ratibah) are weak in their chains of transmission.
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Dr. Abdur Rahman Freywai
English Commentary: 1: All other scholars have declared him to be unknown (majhool), and the narration of a majhool (unknown narrator) is weak.
2: This is a narration from Sahih Bukhari.
3: The most authentic and clear hadith on this subject is that of Ibn Umar, which has already been mentioned under number 544. The evidence of Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma is both textual (naqli) and rational (‘aqli): firstly, that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and Abu Bakr and Umar radi Allahu anhuma did not perform the regular Sunnah (sunnah ratibah) prayers, secondly, if the regular Sunnah were to be performed, then the very purpose of reducing the obligatory (fard) prayers would be lost. If the regular Sunnah were to be performed, then what would be the meaning of reducing the obligatory prayers? As for the fact that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performed Duha and other prayers during some journeys, everyone agrees on performing general voluntary (nafl) prayers when there is opportunity.
4: Everyone agrees on performing general voluntary (nafl) prayers, but the hadiths regarding the regular Sunnah (sunan ratibah) are weak in their chains of narration.
Note: (The narrator “Abu Busrah al-Ghifari” is weak in hadith [layyin al-hadith].)
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhi – Majlis ‘Ilmi Dar al-Da‘wah, New Delhi Edition, Page: 550