This report is transmitted by al-Zuhrī from ʿUrwah, from ʿĀ’ishah, and by al-Zuhrī’s trustworthy students. It is also transmitted by Sālih ibn Kaysān from ʿUrwah, from ʿĀ’ishah, through narrators such as Rabīʿah, and by al-Shaʿbī from ʿĀ’ishah. Hadith scholars unanimously agree that this report is authentically established from her.

How, then, could she venture to pray the full prayer while travelling with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, before seeking his permission, when she saw that he and the Muslims accompanying him prayed only two rakʿahs? Moreover, when she prayed the full prayer after the Prophet’s death, peace and blessings be upon him, she did not argue that she had done so during his lifetime. Nor did ʿUrwah, her sister’s son and the person most familiar with her, mention any such thing. Rather, she justified her practice on the basis of her own legal reasoning, as al-Naysābūrī, al-Bayhaqī and others reported through sound chains of transmission from Wahb ibn Jarīr:

“Shuʿbah narrated to us, from Hishām ibn ʿUrwah, from his father, that ʿĀ’ishah used to pray four rakʿahs when travelling. I said to her, ‘Why not pray two rakʿahs?’ She replied, ‘My nephew, it causes me no hardship.’”

Furthermore, there is the authentic report: “Sālih ibn Kaysān related that ʿUrwah ibn al-Zubayr told him, on the authority of ʿĀ’ishah, that when prayer was first prescribed, it consisted of two rakʿahs both when resident and when travelling. Prayer during travel remained two rakʿahs, while prayer when resident was increased to four.

Sālih said: ‘ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz related this and said, “ʿUrwah told me that ʿĀ’ishah prayed four rakʿahs when travelling.”’ He continued: ‘One day I found ʿUrwah in his company