8 – He should start with it and perform in it the two-rakʿah prayer offered on returning from travel, for:

“Whenever the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, arrived from a journey, he would go first to the mosque, offer two rakʿahs there, and then sit with the people.”

This report is narrated by Kaʿb ibn Mālik — may Allah be pleased with him. Al-Bukhārī, Muslim, al-Nasāʾī, al-Dārimī, and Aḥmad all recorded it through the routes of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Kaʿb and ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Kaʿb from him. It is an excerpt from his lengthy hadith about staying behind from the Expedition of Tabūk and his subsequent repentance.

It has a corroborating narration from Ibn ʿUmar:

“When the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ, returned from his Pilgrimage, he entered Madinah, tethered his mount at the door of his mosque, went inside and prayed two rakʿahs, and then proceeded to his house.”

Nāfiʿ said, “Ibn ʿUmar used to do the same.”
Abū Dāwūd and Aḥmad related it from Ibn Isḥāq, who said: “Nāfiʿ informed me from Ibn ʿUmar.” This chain is sound.

Another supporting report comes from Abū Thaʿlabah in the wording:

“Whenever he returned from a journey, he would begin with the mosque, pray two rakʿahs there, then go to Fāṭimah, and after that to his wives.” In another version: