“they would pray behind him. When he rose for the second unit, they would cease following him and complete the second unit on their own, then go to join the ranks of their companions.”

As Allah says:

“Once they have prostrated, let them take their positions behind you.”

He thus attributed the prostration specifically to them, indicating that they perform it individually. He then said:

“And let another group, who have not yet prayed, come forward and pray with you.”

This shows that they perform it. In this prayer, the worshippers are divided into groups: the first group ceases to follow the imam, while the second group rises before the imam’s concluding salutation and completes one unit on its own.

Then Allah Most High said:

“When you have completed the prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting, and lying on your sides. Then, when you are secure, establish the prayer.”

He thus commanded them to establish the prayer once they were safe. This entails performing it fully and forgoing the shortening permitted by fear and travel. It follows that the command to establish the prayer includes the command to perform it fully, to the extent possible.

As for His words concerning prayer in a state of fear:

“And you lead them in prayer,”

this constitutes establishing and completing the prayer in a state of fear, just as performing two units while travelling constitutes establishing and completing it. As authentically reported from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb—may Allah be pleased with him—he said:

“The traveller’s prayer is two units, the Friday prayer is two units, and the Eid al-Fitr prayer is two units: complete, not shortened, as declared by your Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.”

This clarifies the report narrated by Muslim and the compilers of the Sunan from Ya‘lā ibn Umayyah, who related that he said to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb—may Allah be pleased with him:

“How is it that people shorten the prayer today, when Allah—mighty and majestic—only said: