Hammād ibn Zayd narrated:

“Anas ibn Sīrīn narrated to us, saying: ‘I went with Anas ibn Mālik to his estate, which was five parasangs away. He led us in the afternoon prayer aboard a boat carrying us along the Tigris. Seated on a mat, he prayed two rak‘ahs and then pronounced the salutation. He then led us in another two rak‘ahs and pronounced the salutation.’”

This shows that he went only to the estate mentioned; he was not travelling elsewhere, such that one could say it lay along his route. Thus, he shortened his prayers over a distance of five parasangs, equivalent to one and a quarter barīds.

In Sahīh Muslim, it is related:

“Ibn Abī Shaybah and Ibn Bashshār narrated to us, both from Ghundar, from Shu‘bah, from Yahyā ibn Yazīd al-Hunā’ī, who said: ‘I asked Anas ibn Mālik about shortening the prayer. He replied: “When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, travelled a distance of three miles or three parasangs—Shu‘bah was uncertain—he would pray two rak‘ahs.”’”

Anas did not understand this as covering that distance within a longer journey, because the questioner asked him about shortening the prayer: his question concerned the distance over which prayers may be shortened, not the first prayer one shortens.

Moreover, no one has said that the first prayer may only be shortened after travelling three miles or more. Thus, if that were what was intended, this would not answer the question; nor has anyone maintained such a view. This indicates that Anas meant that anyone travelling this distance may shorten his prayers.

Furthermore, what he related about the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, describes an action of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He did not clarify whether that distance constituted the journey itself or was the distance he had covered during the journey. For if