and the additional wording appears in his version as well as in al-Tabarani’s. Ibn Khuzayma records the report in his Sahih (1/80, no. 2 = 1/325, no. 645), and al-Maqdisi transmits it from him. This narration, together with the preceding hadith of al-Baraʾ, indicates that the prescribed spacing is obligatory; the hadith of Abu Hurayrah cited immediately after it, however, shows that it is merely recommended. Ibn Hajar states this unrestrictedly in Fath al-Bari (2/234). In my opinion, the correct formulation is: the spacing is obligatory unless it causes hardship; in that case a concession is granted to omit it. The wording of Ibn ʿAjlan quoted below supports this qualification—reflect upon it. Note: In the text after the phrase “every limb of yours that prostrates should prostrate with you” there originally followed: “and he granted a dispensation to leave off the spacing—namely, the tajafi—when it proved difficult for the worshipper. This happened when the Companions complained to the Prophet ﷺ about the hardship of prostration while spreading out, so he said, ‘Seek help from the knees.’ Ibn ʿAjlan—one of the transmitters—explained: that is, the worshipper places his elbows on his knees when the prostration is long and he becomes tired.” The Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) commented: “It is the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him). It is related by Abu Dawud (1/143); from him al-Bayhaqi (2/116–117); al-Tirmidhi through Qutaybah (2/77); al-Hakim (1/229) and, through him, al-Bayhaqi again via Shuʿayb ibn al-Layth ibn Saʿd; and by Ahmad (2/339–340) through Yunus. All three report it from al-Layth, from Ibn ʿAjlan, from Sumi, from Abu Salih, from Abu Hurayrah. The additional wording occurs only in the versions of Shuʿayb and Yunus. Ibn Hajar ascribed it in Fath to Abu Dawud alone, which is a mistake. Al-Hakim declared it ‘sound according to the criteria of Muslim,’ and al-Dhahabi concurred, but this too is mistaken; the hadith is merely hasan, not sahih, and certainly not on Muslim’s standard, as we have explained repeatedly. “As for al-Tirmidhi, he judged it defective because Sufyan ibn ʿUyaynah and others transmitted it from Sumi, from al-Nuʿman ibn Abi ʿAyyash, from the Prophet ﷺ with similar wording. He then said:”