Aishah, that the Prophet would pray them. It is also cited in Sahih Abi Dawud (1160).

Abd al-Razzaq (2/433/377) also narrated with an authentic chain from Tawus that Abu Ayyub al-Ansari used to pray two rak'ahs after the afternoon prayer before Umar became caliph. When Umar became caliph, he stopped praying them; then, when Umar died, he resumed praying them. He was asked, “What is this?” and he replied, “Umar used to beat people for performing them.” Ibn Tawus said: “My father never omitted them.”

I say: It is therefore a widespread error in books of fiqh to forbid these two rak'ahs, and even to omit them from the regular sunnah prayers, despite the established fact that the Prophet consistently performed them, just as he consistently performed the two rak'ahs before dawn. There is no evidence that they were abrogated, nor that they were exclusive to him. How could that be, when the person most knowledgeable about them—the Mother of the Believers, Aishah—used to observe them regularly, as did those Companions and early predecessors who agreed with her, as mentioned above?

Added to this is the fact that the texts generally prohibiting prayer after the afternoon prayer are qualified by other explicit hadiths permitting prayer before the sun begins to yellow. Among them is the hadith of Ali, attributed to the Prophet, with the wording:

“Do not pray after the afternoon prayer, unless you pray while the sun is still high.”

This is an authentic hadith, transmitted through more than one chain. Its documentation has preceded under numbers (200 and 314). Abu Muhammad Ibn Hazm held that these two rak'ahs are prescribed, in al-Muhalla, where he refuted those who disagreed in an extensive and engaging discussion at the end of the third volume and the beginning of the fourth. Whoever wishes may consult it.

See the preceding hadith to learn why Umar would beat those who prayed these two rak'ahs. *