and he would thus oblige the Muslims to undertake the more burdensome course, contrary to the Sunnah, merely because it was permissible. The same applies to ‘Ā’ishah. Others among the early generations, both rulers and those who were not rulers, agreed with ‘Uthmān on this and performed the prayer in full, although the leading Companions did not favour that course. Mālik narrated from al-Zuhrī:

A man informed him, on the authority of ‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn al-Miswar ibn Makhramah and ‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn ‘Abd Yaghūth, that the two were travelling together. Sa‘d ibn Abī Waqqās would shorten the prayer and not fast, whereas they would perform the prayer in full and fast. Sa‘d was asked: “We see you shortening the prayer and not fasting, while they perform it in full.” Sa‘d replied: “We know better.”

Shu‘bah narrated from Habīb ibn Abī Thābit, from ‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn al-Miswar, who said: “We were with Sa‘d ibn Abī Waqqās in a village in Syria. He would pray two units, while we would pray four. When we asked him about this, Sa‘d would say: ‘We know better.’”

Mālik narrated from Ibn Shihāb, from Safwān ibn ‘Abd Allāh ibn Safwān, who said: “‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Umar came to visit ‘Abd Allāh ibn Safwān during his illness. He led us in two units of prayer and then left, so we completed the prayer on our own.”

I say:

‘Abd Allāh ibn Safwān was a resident of Mecca, which is why they completed the prayer after praying behind Ibn ‘Umar. Mālik narrated from Nāfi‘ that Ibn ‘Umar would pray four units behind the imam at Minā, but when he prayed on his own, he would pray two units.

Al-Bayhaqī said: “The more likely explanation is that ‘Uthmān regarded shortening the prayer as a concession and therefore considered performing it in full permissible, as ‘Ā’ishah did.”

He said: “This has also been reported from a number of the Companions, although they preferred to shorten the prayer.” Then