For that reason, I hastened at that time to correct the error in my second critical edition of Mishkat al-Masabih, in fulfillment of scholarly integrity. I then reaffirmed this in the introduction to my hadith work, Sahih Mawarid al-Zam'an, which is currently being printed. May Allah facilitate its completion and publication through His grace and generosity. *
- “He would perform the noon prayer,(1) then perform two rak'ahs (units of prayer) afterward; then he would perform the Asr prayer, and afterward perform two rak'ahs.”
Ishaq ibn Rahuyah recorded it in Musnad Aishah (3/894/031 1), and through his route al-Siraj recorded it in his Musnad (fol. 131/2). Ishaq said: Ubayd Allah—al-Siraj added, “ibn Musa”—and al-Nadr ibn Shumayl, both narrated to us: Israel narrated to us from al-Miqdam ibn Shurayh, from his father, who said:
I asked Aishah about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: “How did he pray?” She said: ...
Then she mentioned it. I said: “But Umar used to strike people for performing those two rak'ahs and forbid them!” She replied:
“Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, used to perform them, and he knew that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to perform them. But your people, the people of Yemen, are an uncouth rabble: they perform the Dhuhr prayer, then pray during the interval between Dhuhr and Asr; they perform Asr, then pray during the interval between Asr and Maghrib.(2) So Umar struck them, and he did well.”
I say: This is an authentic and rare chain of transmission. All its narrators are trustworthy and are among the narrators of the two Shaykhs, except al-Miqdam ibn Shurayh and his father; both are trustworthy narrators used by Muslim.
Ahmad (6/145), al-Tahawi, and Ibn Hibban also recorded it through another route from al-Miqdam, in abbreviated form. It states:
I asked Aishah about prayer after Asr. She replied: