(1) This is a fragment of the hadith of Aishah in the wording: “He used to recite the tahiyyah in every two rak‘ahs.” It has already been quoted [p. 177]. Although its chain is defective, as has been shown, the meaning is sound and is supported by what follows. (2) Al-Bayhaqi transmitted it from Aishah with a good isnad, as Ibn al-Mulqin states (28/2). (3) The report indicates that the Prophet ﷺ habitually performed the tashahhud, and this is probably the basis for Ibn al-Qayyim’s remark in al-Hadi al-Nabawi (1/87): “Then the Prophet ﷺ would always recite the tashahhud.” I have not, however, found any explicit text to that effect; Allah knows best. Some scholars have argued from the preceding reports—namely that he did not return to the tashahhud when reminded—that the first tashahhud is not obligatory. Al-Hafiz (2/247) said: “The reasoning is that, had it been obligatory, he would have gone back to it when they glorified him after he stood up. Among those who deem it obligatory are al-Layth, Ishaq, and (in the well-known position) Ahmad; it is also one of the two opinions of al-Shafi‘i, and a narration within the Hanafi school.” I say: This reasoning is open to objection, for one could reply that the Prophet ﷺ refrained from returning because a legal impediment had arisen—namely, that he had already completed rising to the full standing position, as mentioned earlier in the hadith of al-Mughira—and had he not yet fully stood