Tirmidhi

English Commentary:
1:
Which type of Hajj did the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam perform? The narrations regarding this are varied. Some hadiths establish that he performed Hajj Ifrad, some indicate Hajj Tamattu', and some Hajj Qiran. These narrations are reconciled in such a way that each person attributed to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that which he had commanded them to do. And it is correct that he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam entered the state of ihram for Hajj Ifrad, and later became a Qarin. Those who narrated that he performed Hajj Tamattu', the meaning is that he commanded them to do so, because he said: ((Lau la anna ma‘iya al-hady la-ahlaltu)) “If I had not brought the sacrificial animal with me, I would have come out of the state of ihram after performing ‘Umrah.” The explicit meaning of this is that he was not a Mutamatti‘. Also, in the terminology of the Companions, Qiran was also referred to as Tamattu‘, because in both Hajj Qiran and Hajj Tamattu‘, the benefit of performing both ‘Umrah and Hajj in a single journey is obtained. Similarly, those who narrated Qiran reported the final state, because initially the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam intended Hajj Ifrad, but later included ‘Umrah in the Hajj. And it was said to him: ((Qul ‘umratun fi hajjatin))—thus, he changed Hajj Ifrad to Hajj Qiran. Now, as for the issue of which of these three types is superior: the Hanafis consider Hajj Qiran to be superior, because Allah Ta‘ala chose this Hajj for His beloved, and it involves greater hardship. Imam Ahmad and Imam Malik considered Hajj Tamattu‘ to be superior, because it is easier, and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam at one point expressed a desire for it, and some have considered Hajj Ifrad to be superior. The final and correct opinion is that Hajj Tamattu‘ is the most virtuous.

2:
This hadith is in contradiction to the narration of Muslim in which it is stated: ((Qala ‘Abdullah ibn Shaqiq: Kana ‘Uthmanu yanhā ‘an al-mut‘ah wa kana ‘Aliyyun ya’muru biha)), and from the following narration, it is also established that ‘Umar forbade it. This is reconciled by saying that their prohibition was of a discouraging (tanzihi) nature. Their prohibition was at a time when they were not aware of its permissibility. Then, when they learned of its permissibility, they also performed Tamattu‘.

3:
From the narrations, it is established that before Mu‘awiyah radi Allahu anhu, ‘Umar and ‘Uthman radi Allahu anhuma had already discouraged it. Their discouragement was of a discouraging (tanzihi) nature, while Mu‘awiyah radi Allahu anhu’s prohibition was of a forbidding (tahrimi) nature. Therefore, it can be said that Mu‘awiyah radi Allahu anhu’s precedence was in terms of prohibition (tahrim).

Note:
(In the chain of narration, Layth ibn Abi Sulaym is a narrator whose hadith is abandoned due to confusion (ikhtilat), but the actual issue of this hadith is established from other ahadith.)