266 – Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “The Prophet ﷺ prayed two rakʿahs of one of the two late-afternoon prayers, then gave the salām. He then walked over to a wooden beam at the front of the mosque and placed his hand on it. Abū Bakr and ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them) were among the congregation, but out of reverent awe they refrained from speaking to him. The quicker-moving people left the mosque and said, ‘Has the prayer been shortened?’ There was also a man whom the Prophet called Dhū’l-Yadayn. He said, ‘Messenger of Allah, was it forgetfulness, or has the prayer been shortened?’ The Prophet replied, ‘I have not forgotten, nor has it been shortened.’ The man said, ‘Indeed, you have forgotten.’ So the Prophet prayed two further rakʿahs, gave the salām, then pronounced the takbīr and prostrated as long as his usual prostration—or even longer. He then raised his head and pronounced the takbīr, put his head down again and pronounced the takbīr, and prostrated as long as his usual prostration—or even longer. Finally, he raised his head and pronounced the takbīr.” Agreed upon; this wording is al-Bukhārī’s.

In another version recorded by Muslim: “(It was) the ʿAṣr prayer.”

Abū Dāwūd relates that he said: “Has Dhū’l-Yadayn spoken truly?” and they motioned, “Yes.” This wording is also in the two Ṣaḥīḥs, but there it reads, “so they said.”

In another narration of Abū Dāwūd: “He did not prostrate until Allah Most High made him certain of that.” (1)

Glossary of terms
• al-ʿashī: with ʿayn fatḥah, shīn kasrah, and a doubled yāʾ. Al-Azharī says it is the time between the sun’s decline and sunset; al-Rāghib extends it from the sun’s decline until daybreak. Regarding the specific prayer in which the lapse occurred, it is said