Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah - Nasir al-Din al-Albani - (6/390)

Silsilat al-Ahadith al-SahihahNasir al-Din al-Albani

then he should have mentioned it along with his answer to the matter, so that the reader might have a clear understanding of the issue.

One of his strange assertions is that, in support of his view, he cited what he transmitted from Abd al-Razzaq in his Musannaf (2/519), through the route of Dawud ibn Abi Asim, who said: “I asked Ibn Umar about prayer while travelling, and he replied: ‘Two rak'ahs.’ I said, ‘What do you say when we are here in Mina?’ He said, ‘Woe to you! Have you heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and believed in him?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Then he used to pray two rak'ahs. So pray two rak'ahs if you wish, or leave it.’”

I say: Its chain is authentic. Ibn Hazm then stated: “This is a clear indication that Ibn Umar instructed the traveller to pray only two rak'ahs behind a resident imam.”

I say: This is an astonishing interpretation, and a remarkable lapse in understanding from such an astute imam. As you can see, this report makes no mention whatsoever of an imam, whether he is travelling or resident. At most, it indicates that, after Ibn Abi Asim heard from Ibn Umar that the prayer while travelling consists of two rak'ahs, he wished to seek clarification concerning prayer while they—that is, the pilgrims—were at Mina: would they shorten it there as well? Ibn Umar answered in the affirmative, explaining that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to pray two rak'ahs there. This is all that can be understood from the report, and it is how those who recorded it understood it. Thus, Abd al-Razzaq included it under the chapter “Prayer While Travelling,” among hadiths and reports concerning the shortening of prayer. Likewise, Ibn Abi Shaybah included it in the chapter “Those Who Would Shorten the Prayer” in his Musannaf (2/451).

This Dawud ibn Abi Asim was a Meccan from Taif. It is therefore possible that, because he was Meccan, he had some doubt, since the distance between Mecca and Mina is short. Ibn Umar answered him as stated above, apparently meaning that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, shortened the prayer at Mina, as did the Meccan pilgrims who were with him. And Allah knows best.

فكان عليه أن يذكرها مع جوابه عنها، ليكون القاريء على بينة من الأمر. وإن من غرائبه أنه استشهد لما ذهب إليه بما نقله عن عبد الرزاق - وهو في " مصنفه " (٢ / ٥١٩) - من طريق داود بن أبي عاصم قال: " سألت ابن عمر عن الصلاة في السفر؟ فقال: ركعتان. قلت: كيف ترى ونحن ههنا بمنى؟ قال: ويحك سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وآمنت به؟ قلت: نعم. قال: فإنه كان يصلي ركعتين. فصل ركعتين إن شئت أو دع ". قلت: وسنده صحيح، وقال عقبه: " وهذا بيان جلي بأمر ابن عمر المسافر أن يصلي خلف المقيم ركعتين فقط ". قلت: وهذا فهم عجيب، واضطراب في الفهم غريب، من مثل هذا الإمام اللبيب، فإنك ترى معي أنه ليس في هذه الرواية ذكر للإمام مطلقا، سواء كان مسافرا أم مقيما. وغاية ما فيه أن ابن أبي عاصم بعد أن سمع من ابن عمر أن الصلاة في السفر ركعتان، أراد أن يستوضح منه عن الصلاة وهم - يعني الحجاج - في منى: هل يقصرون أيضا؟ فأجابه بالإيجاب، وأن النبي ﷺ كان يصلي فيها ركعتين. هذا كل ما يمكن فهمه من هذه الرواية، وهو الذي فهمه من خرجها، فأوردها عبد الرزاق في " باب الصلاة في السفر " في جملة أحاديث وآثار في القصر، وكذلك أورده ابن أبي شيبة في باب " من كان يقصر الصلاة " من " مصنفه " (٢ / ٤٥١) . وداود بن أبي عاصم هذا طائفي مكي، فمن المحتمل أنه عرضت له شبهة من جهة كونه مكيا، والمسافة بينها وبين منى قصيرة، فأجابه ابن عمر بما تقدم، وكأنه يعني أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قصر في منى هو ومن كان معه من المكيين الحجاج. والله أعلم.