or in Mecca, whether in the year of the Conquest or during the Farewell Pilgrimage, although he stayed there for more than ten days, shortening his prayers. No one has said that he combined prayers during his pilgrimage except at ‘Arafah and Muzdalifah. Thus, it is clear that his combining prayers was not due to his shortening them.

Combining prayers at the earlier prayer’s time while in a town has also been reported in a hadith of Ibn ‘Abbās, in agreement with the hadith of Mu‘ādh. Abū Dāwūd mentioned it, saying: “Hishām ibn ‘Urwah narrated from Husayn ibn ‘Abd Allāh, from Kurayb, from Ibn ‘Abbās, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, a report similar to the hadith of al-Fadl.”

I say: This hadith is known through Husayn. His narrations may be considered alongside other reports and used as corroborating evidence, but they cannot be relied upon independently. ‘Alī ibn al-Madīnī and al-Nasā’ī criticised him. Al-Bayhaqī narrated it through ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Umar, from Ibn Jurayj, from Husayn, from ‘Ikrimah, from Ibn ‘Abbās, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

“When the sun passed its zenith while the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was at his stopping place, he would combine Zuhr and ‘Asr. If he set out before the sun passed its zenith, he would travel until ‘Asr became due, then stop and combine Zuhr and ‘Asr. When the sun set while he was at his stopping place, he would combine Maghrib and ‘Ishā’. If he set out before sunset, he would travel until ‘Ishā’ became due, then stop and combine Maghrib and ‘Ishā’.”

Al-Bayhaqī said that Hajjāj ibn Muhammad also narrated it from Ibn Jurayj, who said: “Husayn informed me, from Kurayb.” Husayn had heard it from both of them. Al-Bayhaqī cited ‘Abd al-Razzāq’s narration from Ibn Jurayj as corroboration of this. That narration is well known and has been transmitted by al-Dāraqutnī and others,