Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and when the sun passed the meridian, they would stand and pray four [rak'ahs]. This was permitted by al-Hasan, Tawus, al-Awza'i, Sa'id ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz, al-Shafi'i, and Ishaq on the day of Friday, due to what Abu Sa'id narrated: that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) prohibited prayer at midday, except on the day of Friday (47). A similar report is from Abu Qatadah, recorded by Abu Dawud (48). And because people are waiting for the Friday prayer at this time, and they are not required to cease voluntary prayers. Malik said: I dislike it if I know that it is midday, but if I am in a place where I do not know it and cannot look, then I view it as permissible. 'Ata' permitted it on that day during the winter, but not in the summer, because the intense heat is from the breath of Hell, and that is the time when Hell is fueled. Our argument is the general scope of the hadiths concerning the prohibition. The exemption for praying at midday on Friday was mentioned to Ahmad, and he said: There is the hadith of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) [on this matter] from three angles: the hadith of 'Amr ibn 'Abasah (49), the hadith of 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir (50), and the hadith of al-Sunabih; al-Athram recorded it (51) from 'Abd Allah al-Sunabih, that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "The sun rises with the horn of Satan with it; when it rises higher, it parts from it; then when it is at the meridian, it joins it; then when it passes the meridian, it parts from it; then when it nears the sunset, it joins it; then when it sets, it parts from it." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) prohibited prayer during those times. And because it is a prohibited time, Friday is equal to other days in it, like all other times. Their hadith is weak; in its chain of narration is Layth [ibn Abi Sulaym] (52), who is weak, and it is a mursal report, because Abu al-Khalil narrates it from Abu Qatadah, and he did not hear [directly] from him. Regarding their statement that people are waiting for the Friday prayer: we say that if one knows the prohibited time, he must not pray, but if he is in doubt, he may pray until he knows [for certain], because the original state is permissibility, and it is not removed by doubt. And Allah knows best.

238 - Issue: He said: (And voluntary prayer is two by two)

He means he performs the taslim (salutation) after every two rak'ahs. Voluntary prayer is of two types: night voluntary prayer and day voluntary prayer. As for the night voluntary prayer, it is not permissible except two by two. This is the opinion of the majority of scholars, and it is the view of Abu Yusuf and Muhammad. Abu Hanifah said: If you wish, you may pray two [rak'ahs], if you wish four, if you wish six, and if you wish eight. Our argument is the saying of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace): "The prayer of the night is two by two." This is agreed upon (1). And from 'Aishah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "The key to prayer is purification, and between every two rak'ahs is a salutation." Recorded by al-Athram (2).

239 - Issue: He said: (And if one performs four [rak'ahs] as a voluntary prayer during the day, there is no harm)

The best [practice] in day voluntary prayer is that it should be two by two, based on what 'Ali ibn 'Abd Allah al-Bariqi narrated from Ibn 'Umar from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that he said: "The prayer of the night and day (1) is two by two." Recorded by Abu Dawud (2) and al-Athram. And because it is further from (3) error and more similar to the prayer of