Whenever he came within sight of a settlement he intended to enter, he would say: “O Allah, Lord of the seven heavens and all they overshadow, Lord of the seven earths and all they bear, Lord of the devils and all those they lead astray, and Lord of the winds and all they scatter, I ask You for the good of this settlement and the good of its people. I seek refuge in You from its evil, the evil of its people, and the evil of all it contains” (1).
It is also reported that he would say: “O Allah, I ask You for the good of this place (2) and the good of all You have gathered within it. I seek refuge in You from its evil and the evil of all You have gathered within it. O Allah, grant us its produce, protect us from its pestilence, endear us to its people, and endear its righteous people to us” (3).
He would shorten the four-unit prayers, offering them as two units, from the time he set out on a journey until he returned to Medina. No authentic report establishes that he ever offered the full four-unit prayers while travelling. As for the hadith
(1) Reported by al-Nasā’ī in al-Kubrā (8775, 10301), and through him by al-Tahāwī in Mushkil al-Āthār (2529), through Mālik ibn Abī ‘Āmir al-Asbahī, from Ka‘b al-Ahbār, from Suhayb. Its chain is sound. Another route from Ka‘b is reported by al-Nasā’ī (8776, 10302), Ibn Khuzayma (2565), Ibn Hibbān (2709), al-Tabarānī in al-Du‘ā’ (838) and al-Mu‘jam al-Kabīr (8/33), Ibn al-Sunnī (p. 472), al-Hākim (1/446, 2/100), and al-Bayhaqī (5/252). This route has some weakness.
(2) The printed edition adds “al-qarya” (the settlement) after this word.
(3) Reported by Ibn al-Sunnī (p. 474), from ‘Ā’isha. Its chain is very unusual and weak. The preceding hadith suffices for its first half. Its latter half has a corroborating report from Ibn ‘Umar, transmitted by al-Tabarānī in al-Du‘ā’ (835, 836) and al-Mu‘jam al-Awsat (4755), through two routes from Nāfi‘, from Ibn ‘Umar. One includes Sa‘īd ibn Maslama al-Umawī, who is rated munkar al-hadīth (unreliable in hadith transmission). The other includes Mubārak ibn Hassān, who is weak; Ibn ‘Adī said: “He transmitted reports that are not reliably established.” Thus, the hadith is weak.