The sixth format
is the one related in the ḥadīths of Abū Bakrah and of Jābir from the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—
“that he led each of the two contingents in two rakʿahs apiece.”
This was the position for which al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī used to issue legal verdicts. The report also proves that the intention (niyyah) of the imam may differ from that of those he leads, for the imam is completing the prayer while they are shortening it. Muslim transmitted the narration on the authority of Jābir.

The seventh format
is found in the ḥadīth of Ibn ʿUmar from the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—
that “whenever he was asked about the Prayer of Fear he would say: The imam moves forward together with one group of the people and leads them in a single rakʿah, while another group positions itself between him and the enemy without praying. When the group with him has finished one rakʿah, it withdraws to the place of those who have not yet prayed and does not give the salām. The other group then advances and performs one rakʿah with him. The imam then departs, having prayed two rakʿahs in all. Each of the two contingents then steps forward and completes one rakʿah on its own after the imam has left, so that every contingent has prayed two rakʿahs. If the danger is greater than that, they may pray on foot, standing, or mounted, whether facing the qiblah or not.”
Among those who upheld this format were Ashhab reporting from Mālik and several other scholars.

Abū ʿUmar said: The proof for those who follow this ḥadīth of Ibn ʿUmar is that it has been transmitted by the foremost scholars of Medina, whose reports take precedence over those of anyone who contradicts them. Moreover, this format is closer to basic principles, for neither the first nor the second contingent made up its remaining rakʿah until after the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—had exited the prayer, which is the well-known, unanimously accepted Sunnah for making up missed parts in all other prayers.

Most scholars also adopt what is found in this ḥadīth: when fear becomes severe, it is permissible for them to pray whether facing the qiblah or not, indicating the movements with mere gestures and without bowing or prostrating.

Abū Ḥanīfah, however, dissented, saying: A person in fear may only pray while facing the qiblah, and no one may pray at the moment of clashing swords.

The cause of the disagreement is that this practice appears to conflict with established principles. Some scholars have held that all these formats are valid and that the legally accountable person may pray in whichever of them he prefers, while others have said that the variation arose because the circumstances themselves differed.

[Section Six of the Third Part: The Prayer of the Sick]

The sixth chapter of the third part—Concerning the prayer of the sick: the scholars unanimously agree that the sick person is still addressed with the obligation of prayer, and that the duty of standing is waived for him if he cannot manage it, so he prays seated. Likewise, the obligation of bowing and prostration is lifted if he is unable to perform both, or either of them, and he substitutes them with gestures. They disagreed, however, about who is entitled to pray seated, about the posture he should adopt while sitting, and about the condition of one who can neither sit nor stand.

As for who may pray seated, some have said: this is