Abu Hanifah said: The taslim (salutation) is not specifically assigned as the [sole] means for exiting the prayer; rather, if one exits it through an action that contradicts the prayer, such as an [intentional] act, the occurrence of a ritual impurity (hadath), or other such things, it is permissible. However, the taslim is a sunnah and not obligatory, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not teach it to the one who performed his prayer poorly; had it been obligatory, he would have commanded him to do it, for it is not permissible to delay clarification beyond the time of need. Furthermore, because one of the two taslims is not obligatory, the other is likewise not. Our evidence is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "The key to prayer is purification, its prohibition [from worldly matters] is the takbir, and its legalization [to return to worldly matters] is the taslim" (1). Also, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to perform the taslim in his prayer (2) and would persist in that without omitting it, and he has said: "Pray as you have seen me praying" (3). Moreover, because ritual impurity (hadath) contradicts the prayer, it cannot be considered an obligatory component of it, and we have already responded to the hadith of the Bedouin previously.
Section: It is prescribed to perform two taslims, one to his right and one to his left. This has been narrated from Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, Ali, 'Ammar, and Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with them. This is also the opinion of Nafi' ibn 'Abd al-Harith (4), 'Alqamah, Abu 'Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami (5), 'Ata', al-Sha'bi, al-Thawri, al-Shafi'i, Ishaq, Ibn al-Mundhir, and the scholars of opinion (ashab al-ra'y). Ibn 'Umar, Anas, Salamah ibn al-Akwa' (6), 'A'ishah, al-Hasan, Ibn Sirin, 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz, Malik, and al-Awza'i said: He performs one single taslim. 'Ammar ibn Abi...
(1) Previously cited on page 127. (2) Extracted by Ibn Majah, in: The Chapter on the Taslim, from the Book of Establishing Prayer. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/296. And al-Darimi, in: The Chapter on the Taslim in the Prayer, from the Book of Prayer. Sunan al-Darimi 1/310. See what follows regarding whether he used to perform one or two salutations. (3) Previously cited on pages 137 and 157. (4) Nafi' ibn 'Abd al-Harith ibn Hubalah al-Khuza'i; he accepted Islam on the day of the Conquest [of Mecca], and 'Umar appointed him governor over Mecca. Al-Isabah 6/408. (5) Abu 'Abd al-Rahman 'Abd Allah ibn Habib ibn Rubay'ah al-Sulami al-Kufi, the reciter; he was a trustworthy successor (tabi'i) who died between the years seventy and eighty [AH]. Tahdhib al-Tahdhib 5/183, 184. (6) Abu Muslim Salamah ibn 'Amr ibn al-Akwa' al-Aslami; a noble Companion who witnessed the Pledge of Ridwan. He died in the year seventy-four, at the age of eighty. Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd 4/2/38-41, Tahdhib al-Tahdhib 4/150-152.
