'Uthman prayed four rak'ahs at Mina. 'Abd Allah (b. Mas'ud) said: I prayed two rak'ahs along with the Prophet (saws) and two rak'ahs along with 'Umar. The version of Hafs added: And along with 'Uthman during the early period of his caliphate. He ('Uthman) began to offer complete prayer (i.e. four rak'ahs) later on. The version of Abu Mu'awiyah added: Then your modes of action varied. I would like to pray two rak'ahs acceptable to Allah instead of four rak'ahs.

Al-A'mash said: Mu'awiyah b. Qurrah reported to me from his teachers: 'Abd Allah (b. Mas'ud) once prayed four rak'ahs. He was told: You criticized 'Uthman but you yourself prayed four ? He replied: Dissension is evil.

My father said, "The Prophet uses to recite Al-Fatiha followed by another Sura in the first two rak`at of the prayer and used to recite only Al-Fatiha in the last two rak`at of the Zuhr prayer. Sometimes a verse or so was audible and he used to prolong the first rak`a more than the second and used to do the same in the `Asr and Fajr prayers."

'A'isha reported that there was a solar eclipse during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (way peace be upon him) and he sent the announcer (to summon them) for congregational prayer. The people gathered together and he pronounced takbir and he observed four rak'ahs, in the form of two rak'ahs (i. e. he observed two qiyams and two ruku's in one rak'ah) and four prostrations.

I offered (only a) two rak`at prayer with the Prophet (at Mina), and similarly with Abu Bakr and with `Umar, and then you d offered in opinions. Wish that I would be lucky enough to have two of the four rak`at accepted (by Allah).

26 Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu Ubayd, the mawla of Sulayman ibn Abd alMalik, from Ubada ibn Nusayy from Qays ibn al Harith that Abu Abdullah as-Sunabihi said, "I arrived in Madina in the khalifate of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, and I prayed maghrib behind him. He recited the umm al Qur'an and two suras from the shorter ones of the mufassal in the first two rakas. Then he stood up in the third and I drew so near to him that my clothes were almost touching his clothes. I heard him reciting the umm al-Qur'an and this ayat, 'Our Lord, do not make our hearts go astray after You have guided us, and give us mercy from Your presence. Surely You are the Giver. ' " (Sura 3 ayat 8)

When the Prophet entered the Ka`ba, he invoked Allah in each and every side of it and did not pray till he came out of it, and offered a two-rak`at prayer facing the Ka`ba and said, "This is the Qibla."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr from his father that Abdullah ibn Qays ibn Makhrama told him that Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhani said one night that he was going to observe the prayer of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He said, "I rested my head on his threshold. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, got up and prayed two long, long, long rakas. Then he prayed two rakas which were slightly less long than the two before them. Then he prayed two rakas which were slightly less long than the two before them. Then he prayed two rakas which were slightly less long than the two before them. Then he prayed two rakas which were slightly less long than the two before them. Then he prayed two rakas which were slightly less long than the two before them. Then he prayed an odd raka, making thirteen rakas in all."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had finished his tawaf of the House, prayed two rakas, and wanted to go to Safa and Marwa, he would salute the corner of the Black Stone before he left.

Nafi' reported that when Ibn 'Umar was in a state of hurry on a journey, he combined the sunset and 'Isha' prayers after the twilight had disappeared, and he would say that when the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was in a state of hurry on a journey, he combined the sunset and 'Isha' prayers.

You offer a prayer which I did not see being offered by Allah's Apostle when we were in his company and he certainly had forbidden it (i.e. two rak`at after the `Asr prayer).

My father said, "The Prophet used to recite Al-Fatiha along with another Sura in the first two rak`at of the Zuhr and `Asr prayers. A verse or so was audible at times and he used to prolong the first rak`a."

Nafi` told that `Abdullah bin `Umar used to say Taslim between (the first) two Rak`at and (the third) odd one in the Witr prayer, when he wanted to attend to a certain matter (during that interval between the Rak`at).

`Abdul, `Aziz bin Rufa`i said, "I saw `Abdullah bin Az-Zubair performing Tawaf of the Ka`ba after the morning prayer then offering the two rak`at prayer." `Abdul `Aziz added, "I saw `Abdullah bin Az-Zubair offering a two rak`at prayer after the `Asr prayer." He informed me that Aisha told him that the Prophet used to offer those two rak`at whenever he entered her house."

I stayed overnight in the house of my aunt Maimuna bint Al-Harith (the wife of the Prophet ) while the Prophet was there with her during her night turn. The Prophet offered the `Isha' prayer (in the mosque), returned home and after having prayed four rak`at, he slept. Later on he got up at night and then asked whether the boy (or he used a similar word) had slept? Then he got up for the prayer and I stood up by his left side but he made me stand to his right and offered five rak`at followed by two more rak`at. Then he slept and I heard him snoring and then (after a while) he left for the (Fajr) prayer.

Jabir bin ‘Abd Allaah said “We were on a journey with the Apostle of Allaah(saws). When we were going to come to our family, he said “Stay till we enter during the night, so that the disheveled woman combs herself and the woman whose husband has been away cleans herself.

Abu Dawud aid “Al Zuhri said “(this prohibition applies) when one arrives after the night prayer.

Abu dawud said “There is no harm in coming (to one’s family) after the sunset prayer.

Muawiya said (to the people), "You offer a prayer which we, who were the companions of the Prophet never saw the Prophet offering, and he forbade its offering," i.e. the two rak`at after the compulsory `Asr prayer.

The Prophet prayed two rak`at of Zuhr prayer (instead of four) and he was told that he had prayed two rak`at only. Then he prayed two more rak`at and finished them with the Taslim followed by two prostrations.

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Said ibn al-Musayyab used to say, "Sleep is disapproved of before isha and conversation after it."

I heard my father saying, "The Prophet led us, and prayed a two-rak`at Zuhr prayer and then a tworak` at `Asr prayer at Al-Batha' [??] with a short spear (planted) in front of him (as a Sutra) while women and donkeys were passing in front of him (beyond that stick).

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar used to say the taslim between the two rakas and the one raka of witr so that he could order something he needed.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Humayd ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf that Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abd al-Qari mentioned to him that he once did tawaf of the House with Umar ibn al-Khattab after subh and when Umar had finished his tawaf he looked and saw that the sun had not yet risen, so he rode on until he made his camel kneel at Dhu Tuwa, and he prayed two rakas.

The Prophet was on a journey and recited in one of the first two rak`at of the `Isha' prayer "Wa t-teeni wa z-zaitun." (95)

The Prophet never missed four rak`at before the Zuhr prayer and two rak`at before the Fajr prayer.

The Prophet led us in the `Asr or the Zuhr prayer and finished it with Taslim. Dhul-Yadain said to him, "O Allah's Apostle! Has the prayer been reduced?" The Prophet asked his companions in the affirmative. So Allah's Apostle I offered two more rak`at and then performed two prostrations (of Sahu). Sa`d said, "I saw that 'Urwa bin Az-Zubair had offered two rak`at in the Maghrib prayer and finished it with Taslim. He then talked (and when he was informed about it) he completed the rest of his prayer and performed two prostrations, and said, 'The Prophet prayed like this.' "

I accompanied the Messenger of Allah (saws) on eighteen journeys and I never saw him fail to pray two rak'ahs when the sun had passed the meridian before offering the noon prayer.

Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) went out on the day of Adha or Fitr and observed two rak'ahs, and did not observe prayer (at that place) before and after that. He then came to the women along with Bilal and commanded them to give alms and the women began to give their rings and necklaces. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters.

Ibn 'Umar reported that Hafsa, the Mother of the Believers, informed him that when the Mu'adhdhin became silent after calling (people) to the dawn prayer, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) commenced the dawn (prayer) when it dawned by observing two short rak'ahs before the commencement of the (Fard) prayer.

When the Prophet (saws) finished two rak'ahs of an obligatory prayer, a man asked him: Messenger of Allah, has the prayer been shortened, or have you forgotten? he replied: I did not do all that. The people said: Messenger of Allah, you did that. Therefore, he offered another two rak'ahs or prayer and did not make two prostrations due to forgetfulness.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has also been narrated by Dawud al-Hussain from Abu Sufyan, freed slave of Ibn Abi Ahmad on the authority of Abu Hurairah from the Prophet (saws). This version goes: He then made two prostrations while he was sitting after the salutation.