prayer.” Establishing it entails performing it fully, to the extent possible, as will be seen in the hadith reported by Anas ibn Mālik—may Allah be pleased with him:

“Perform the bowing and prostration properly, for I can see you from behind my back.”

Another version reads:

“Complete the bowing and prostration.”

The significance of this evidence will be explained later.

The evidence for this from the Quran is the saying of Allah—glorified and exalted be He:

“When you travel through the land, there is no blame upon you for shortening the prayer if you fear that those who disbelieve may attack you.”

Allah thus permitted both reducing the number of prayer units and modifying the manner of performing the prayer. This is why He made it conditional upon two circumstances: travel and fear.

Travel permits only a reduction in the number of prayer units, as the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“Allah has relieved the traveller of fasting and half the prayer.”

Accordingly, the practice of Allah’s Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—which has been mass-transmitted from him, and which the Muslim community has unanimously transmitted, was that:

“He would perform the four-unit prayer as two units when travelling.”

He never performed it as four units while travelling, nor did Abū Bakr or ‘Umar—may Allah be pleased with them both—whether travelling for Hajj, ‘umrah, or jihad.

Fear permits modifying the manner of performing the prayer, as Allah says in the continuation of the passage:

“When you are among them and lead them in prayer, let a group of them stand with you, taking their weapons with them. Once they have prostrated, let them take their positions behind you, and let another group, who have not yet prayed, come forward and pray with you, taking their precautions and their weapons.”

He thus described the prayer in a state of fear, namely the prayer at Dhāt al-Riqā‘, when the enemy was in the direction of the qiblah. In this prayer,