explicit and does not admit this interpretation. Muslim narrated it in his Sahīh with the wording:

“I prayed behind the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, Abū Bakr, ‘Umar, and ‘Uthmān. They would begin with ‘All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds,’ and would not recite ‘In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy,’ either at the beginning of their recitation or at its end.”

Such a denial can only be made with knowledge of the matter. It cannot be based merely on his not having heard it, if it remained possible that they recited aloud without him hearing.

The other wording in Muslim’s Sahīh is:

“I prayed behind the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, Abū Bakr, ‘Umar, and ‘Uthmān, and I did not hear any of them recite aloud—or he said, pray reciting—‘In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.’”

This wording denies having heard it. Even if this were the only wording transmitted, it could not be interpreted to mean that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, recited aloud but Anas did not hear him, for several reasons.

First: Anas related this only to explain to them what the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to do. People have no interest in knowing whether Anas heard or did not hear except to infer, from his not hearing it, that what would have been heard did not occur. Had his account not been evidence negating that practice, Anas would not have related something of no benefit to them, nor would they have transmitted such an account that benefited them in no way.

Second: In customary usage, wording of this kind has come to indicate the absence of what has not been