The Companions would disagree over what the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—intended even during his lifetime. Thus, it is established in the two Sahih collections, on the authority of Umar, that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:
“None of you is to pray the afternoon prayer except among the Banū Qurayza.”
The time for prayer overtook them while they were on the road. Some of them said, “We shall pray and not miss the prayer.” Others said, “We shall not pray until we reach the Banū Qurayza,” and so they prayed after sunset. The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—did not rebuke any of them. (1)
It is also related in Sahih al-Bukhārī, on the authority of Ibn al-Zubayr, that when the delegation of Tamīm came to the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—Abu Bakr said, “Appoint al-Qaʿqā ibn Maʿbad (2) as their leader.” Umar said, “Appoint al-Aqra ibn Hābis as their leader.” Abu Bakr said, “You intended only to oppose me.” Umar replied, “I did not intend to oppose you.” Their voices then grew loud, so Allah Most High revealed:
“O you who believe, do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet…”
[Surah al-Hujurāt: 2]
Thereafter, Umar would speak to him only in a whisper. (3)
(1) The hadith was cited previously, 3/411.
(2) N and M read “ibn Hakīm,” while B reads “ibn Hakam”; all these readings are erroneous. He is al-Qaqā ibn Mabad ibn Zurāra ibn Zayd al-Tamīmī al-Dārimī—may Allah be pleased with him. See his biography in al-Isāba, 3/230–231; al-Istīāb, in the margin of al-Isāba, 3/251–252; and Usd al-Ghāba, 4/409.
(3) See Ibn Kathīr’s commentary on verse 2 of Surah al-Hujurāt in his Tafsīr, 7/346, where he states: “The hadith master Abū Bakr al-Bazzār said in his Musnad: Al-Fadl ibn Sahl narrated to us: Ishāq ibn Mansūr narrated to us: Husayn ibn Umar narrated to us, from Mukhāriq, from Tāriq ibn Shihāb, from Abū Bakr al-Siddīq, who said: When this verse was revealed—‘O you who believe, do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet’—I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, I shall speak to you only as one who whispers.’ Although this Husayn ibn Umar is weak, we have also narrated it from Abd al-Rahmān ibn Awf and Abū Hurayra with similar wording.” The hadith was also narrated from Abd Allāh ibn al-Zubayr—may Allah be pleased with them both—without the final statement, in al-Bukhārī, 6/137–138 (Book of Tafsīr, Surah al-Hujurāt). The expression akhī al-sirār denotes speaking in a low voice or whispering.