(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) when he traveled for a farsakh, he would shorten the prayer. Anas said: 'When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) went out for a distance of three miles or three farsakhs, he would pray two rak'ahs.' Shu'bah is the one who is in doubt. Narrated by Muslim and Abu Dawud. Our companions argued using the statement of Ibn 'Abbas and Ibn 'Umar. Ibn 'Abbas said: 'O people of Makkah, do not shorten [prayer] for any distance less than four burud, from 'Usfan to Makkah.' Al-Khattabi said: 'This is the sounder of the two narrations from Ibn 'Umar.' This is because it is a distance that encompasses the hardship of travel, including the unpacking and packing [of belongings], so shortening is permitted within it, just like the distance of three [farsakhs], and it is not permitted for anything less than that because no evidence has been established that mandates shortening for it. Regarding the statement of Anas: 'The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) would pray two rak'ahs when he went out for a distance of three miles or three farsakhs,' it is possible that he meant that when he traveled on a long journey, he would shorten [the prayer] once he reached three miles, just as he said in his other wording: 'The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) prayed four [rak'ahs] in Medina, and two rak'ahs at Dhu al-Hulayfah.' The author said: 'I do not see any proof for what the Imams have adopted, because the statements of the Companions are contradictory and varied, and there is no'
(15) Recorded by Ibn Abi Shaybah, in: The Chapter on the distance for which one shortens the prayer, from the Book of Prayer. Al-Musannaf 2/442, 443. (16) The phrase "and Abu Dawud" is omitted from the original manuscript. It was recorded by Muslim, in: The Chapter on the prayer of travelers and shortening it, from the Book of Travelers. Sahih Muslim 1/481. And by Abu Dawud, in: The Chapter on when to shorten the prayer, from the Book of Travel. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/274. It was also recorded by Imam Ahmad, in: al-Musnad 3/129. (17) Recorded by Imam Malik, in: The Chapter on what requires shortening the prayer, from the Book of Prayer. Al-Muwatta 1/148. And by al-Daraqutni, in: The Chapter on the amount of distance for which one shortens [prayer] and the duration, from the Book of Prayer. Sunan al-Daraqutni 1/387. (18) In Ma'alim al-Sunan 1/262. (19) In M: "in Medina". It was recorded by al-Bukhari, in: The Chapter on whoever spent the night at Dhu al-Hulayfah until morning, the Chapter on raising the voice with the ihlal (talbiyah), the Chapter on glorifying and praising... etc., and the Chapter on slaughtering sacrificial animals while standing, from the Book of Hajj, and in: The Chapter on leaving after Dhuhr, from the Book of Jihad. Sahih al-Bukhari 2/170, 210, 4/59. And by Muslim, in: The Chapter on the prayer of travelers and shortening it, from the Book of Travelers. Sahih Muslim 1/480. And by Abu Dawud, in: The Chapter on the time for ihram, from the Book of Rituals. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/411. And by al-Nasa'i, in: The Chapter on the 'Asr prayer during travel, from the Book of Prayer. Al-Mujtaba 1/192. (20) Dhu al-Hulayfah: A village six or seven miles away from Medina. Mu'jam al-Buldan 2/324.
