worthy of emulation.’ [al-Ahzāb: 21]” Reported by al-Bukhārī and Muslim. (1)
Ibn al-Qayyim said, “This reflects his sound understanding—may Allah be pleased with him. Allah, glorified and exalted, reduced the four-rak‘ah prayer by half for the traveler. Had the two rak‘ahs before or after it been prescribed for him, they would effectively have completed its omitted half; had the two rak‘ahs before or after it been prescribed for him, he would have had greater reason to perform the obligatory prayer in full.” (2) End quote.
The hadith of Umm Hāni concerning the Duha prayer during the conquest of Mecca, when he offered it at her home, has already been mentioned.
Ibn Umar said, “The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—would offer voluntary prayers on his mount, whichever direction it turned, and would perform Witr upon it; however, he would not perform the obligatory prayer upon it.” Reported by al-Bukhārī and Muslim. (3)
I say: This hadith from Ibn Umar also explains his preceding hadith in which he said, “I never saw him offer voluntary prayers while traveling.” It clarifies that he meant he had not seen him offer the regular Sunnah prayers while traveling.
Āmir ibn Rabī‘a said, “I saw the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—offering voluntary prayer while riding, gesturing with his head, whichever direction his mount turned. The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—did not do that in