2814 — “The prayer was initially prescribed as two rak‘ahs for each prayer. Then, when he, peace and blessings be upon him, arrived in Medina, he added the same number of rak‘ahs to each prayer, except for Maghrib, for it is the odd-numbered prayer of the day, and the dawn prayer, because of the length of its recitation. When he travelled, he reverted to his original prayer.”

Al-Tahawi transmitted it in Ma‘ani al-Athar (1/241) through the route of Marja ibn Raja, who said: Dawud narrated to us from al-Sha‘bi, from Masruq, from ‘A’ishah, who said: She then cited it. I say: This is a good chain of transmission. Its narrators are trustworthy, apart from Marja ibn Raja, concerning whom there is disagreement. Al-Dhahabi included him in al-Mutakallam Fihim bima La Yujib al-Radd, and said (173/319): “Al-Bukhari cited him in a suspended report; his hadith is acceptable.” Al-Hafiz summarized the statements of the scholars concerning him in al-Taqrib, saying: “Truthful, though he sometimes erred.”

I say: Evidence has established that he retained it accurately and did not err, through a reliable corroborating parallel chain and a supporting report. As for the corroborating parallel chain, it is through Mahbub ibn al-Hasan, who narrated to us from Dawud through the same chain. Al-Siraj transmitted it in his Musnad (fol. 120/2) through two routes from him. Ibn Khuzaymah and Ibn Hibban declared it authentic, as stated in Tamam al-Minnah (304), and al-Hafiz cited it as evidence, as will follow. This Mahbub’s name was Muhammad, while Mahbub was his nickname. Ibn Ma‘in said: “There is nothing objectionable about him.” Ibn Hibban mentioned him in al-Thiqat. Al-Nasa’i said: “Weak,” while Abu Hatim said: “He is not strong.” I say: A narrator of his standing may at least be used for corroboration, as indicated by al-Hafiz when he said: