al-Zuhrī that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would pray the two units before Fajr, then lie down on his right side until the muezzin came to him, whereupon he would go out with him. Mālik thus placed his lying down (1) before the two units before Fajr, whereas the other narrators’ reports place it after them. The scholars therefore judged that Mālik had erred and the others were correct. End of his statement (2).

Abū Tālib said: I said to Ahmad, “Abū al-Salt narrated to us (3), from Abū Kudayna, from Suhayl [ibn Abī Sālih, from his father] (4), from Abū Hurayrah, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, lay down after the two units before Fajr.” He said, “Shu‘bah does not trace it back to the Prophet.” I asked, “If a person does not lie down, is he accountable for anything?” He replied, “No. ‘Ā’ishah reports it, while Ibn ‘Umar rejects it.”

Al-Khallāl said: Al-Marrūdhī (5) also informed us that Abū ‘Abd Allāh said, “The hadith of Abū Hurayrah is not strong.” I said, “Al-A‘mash narrates it from Abū Sālih, from Abū Hurayrah.” He replied, “‘Abd al-Wāhid alone narrates it.” Ibrāhīm ibn al-Hārith said that Abū ‘Abd Allāh was asked about lying down after the two units before Fajr and replied, “I do not do it. But if someone does it, that is good.” End of quotation (6).

Thus, if the hadith of ‘Abd al-Wāhid ibn Ziyād, from al-A‘mash, from Abū Sālih