He said: “I used to travel a postal stage with Ibn ‘Umar, and he would not shorten his prayers.” ‘Abd al-Razzāq said: “Dhāt al-Nusub is eighteen miles from Medina.” Thus Nāfi‘ reports that he shortened his prayers over six parasangs, yet would travel a postal stage—which is four parasangs—without shortening them.

A similar report about him is given in the account related by Ghundar: Shu‘bah related to us, from Habīb ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmān, from Hafs ibn ‘Āsim ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb, who said: “I went with ‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb to Dhāt al-Nusub, eighteen miles from Medina. When he reached it, he shortened his prayers.” Ma‘mar narrated from Ayyūb, from Nāfi‘, from Ibn ‘Umar, that he used to shorten his prayers on a journey of four postal stages.

The preceding reports indicate that he shortened his prayers over this distance and shorter distances. Wakī‘ narrated from Sa‘īd ibn ‘Ubayd al-Tā’ī, from ‘Alī ibn Rabī‘ah al-Wālibī al-Asadī, who said:

“I asked Ibn ‘Umar about shortening the prayer. He said: ‘On Hajj, ‘umrah, or a military expedition?’

“I replied: ‘No, but one of us may have an estate in the Sawād.’

“He said: ‘Do you know al-Suwaydā’?’

“I replied: ‘I have heard of it, but have not seen it.’

“He said: ‘It is three nights away, or two—or one for a swift traveller. When we go there, we shorten our prayers.’”

Ibn Hazm said: “From Medina to al-Suwaydā’ is seventy-two miles, or twenty-four parasangs.”

I say: Taken together with the preceding reports, this shows that Ibn ‘Umar did not mention that distance to establish a fixed limit;