I was sent to Aisha by Ibn ʿAbbas, Al-Miswar bin Makhrama and ʿAbdur-Rahman bin Azhar . They told me to greet her on their behalf and to ask her about the offering of the two rakʿat after the ʿAsr prayer and to say to her, "We were informed that you offer those two rakʿat and we were told that the Prophet had forbidden offering them." Ibn ʿAbbas said, "I along with ʿUmar bin Al-Khattab used to beat the people whenever they offered them." I went to Aisha and told her that message. ʿAisha said, "Go and ask Um Salama about them." So I returned and informed them about her statement. They then told me to go to Um Salama with the same question with which t sent me to ʿAisha. Um Salama replied, "I heard the Prophet ﷺ forbidding them. Later I saw him offering them immediately after he prayed the ʿAsr prayer. He then entered my house at a time when some of the Ansari women from the tribe of Bani Haram were sitting with me, so I sent my slave girl to him having said to her, 'Stand beside him and tell him that Um Salama says to you, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! I have heard you forbidding the offering of these (two rakʿat after the ʿAsr prayer) but I have seen you offering them." If he waves his hand then wait for him.' The slave girl did that. The Prophet ﷺ beckoned her with his hand and she waited for him. When he had finished the prayer he said, "O daughter of Bani Umaiya! You have asked me about the two rakʿat after the ʿAsr prayer. The people of the tribe of ʿAbdul-Qais came to me and made me busy and I could not offer the two rakʿat after the Zuhr prayer. These (two rakʿat that I have just prayed) are for those (missed) ones.  

عَنِ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ صَلاَةِ الْعَصْرِ وَقُلْ لَهَا إِنَّا أُخْبِرْنَا أَنَّكِ تُصَلِّينَهُمَا وَقَدْ بَلَغَنَا أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ نَهَى عَنْهَا وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ وَكُنْتُ أَضْرِبُ النَّاسَ مَعَ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ عَنْهُمَا فَقَالَ كُرَيْبٌ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى عَائِشَةَ ؓ فَبَلَّغْتُهَا مَا أَرْسَلُونِي فَقَالَتْ سَلْ أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ فَخَرَجْتُ إِلَيْهِمْ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُمْ بِقَوْلِهَا فَرَدُّونِي إِلَى أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ بِمِثْلِ مَا أَرْسَلُونِي بِهِ إِلَى عَائِشَةَ فَقَالَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ ؓ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَنْهَى عَنْهَا ثُمَّ رَأَيْتُهُ يُصَلِّيهِمَا حِينَ صَلَّى الْعَصْرَ ثُمَّ دَخَلَ عَلَىَّ وَعِنْدِي نِسْوَةٌ مِنْ بَنِي حَرَامٍ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ فَأَرْسَلْتُ إِلَيْهِ الْجَارِيَةَ فَقُلْتُ قُومِي بِجَنْبِهِ قُولِي لَهُ تَقُولُ لَكَ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ سَمِعْتُكَ تَنْهَى عَنْ هَاتَيْنِ وَأَرَاكَ تُصَلِّيهِمَا فَإِنْ أَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ فَاسْتَأْخِرِي عَنْهُ فَفَعَلَتِ الْجَارِيَةُ فَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ فَاسْتَأْخَرَتْ عَنْهُ فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ قَالَ يَا بِنْتَ أَبِي أُمَيَّةَ سَأَلْتِ عَنِ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ وَإِنَّهُ أَتَانِي نَاسٌ مِنْ عَبْدِ الْقَيْسِ فَشَغَلُونِي عَنِ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ اللَّتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الظُّهْرِ فَهُمَا هَاتَانِ  

[Machine] My father agreed on performing the Umrah pilgrimage, so when the time came for us to depart, he said, "Oh my son, if we were to visit the prince, we should bid him farewell." I replied, "Whatever you wish." So we visited Marwan, and among those present was Abdullah ibn Zubayr. They mentioned the two units of prayer that Ibn Zubayr used to perform after Asr prayer. Marwan asked him, "From whom did you learn these two units of prayer, O son of Zubayr?" He replied, "Abu Hurairah informed me of them, from Aisha." Marwan sent a message to Aisha, asking, "Do you know anything about the two units of prayer that Ibn Zubayr performs after Asr prayer, claiming that Abu Hurairah informed him of them from you?". Aisha sent back, saying, "May Allah forgive Aisha, as I have misplaced my matter. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray Dhuhr and there was money that had come to him, so he sat down to distribute it until the Muadhin came to him for Asr prayer. He then prayed Asr and came to me. It happened to be my day, so he performed two light units of prayer. I then said, 'O Messenger of Allah! Were you commanded to perform these two units of prayer?' He replied, 'No, but these two units of prayer were the ones that I used to perform after Dhuhr, but the division of this money distracted me until the time for Asr arrived. I disliked abandoning them.' Ibn Zubayr said: 'Allah is Greater! Did he not perform them once?' By Allah! I will never abandon them." Umm Salamah remarked, "I never saw him performing these two units of prayer before or after this incident."  

أَجْمَعَ أَبِي عَلَى الْعُمْرَةِ فَلَمَّا حَضَرَ خُرُوجُهُ قَالَ أَيْ بُنَيَّ لَوْ دَخَلْنَا عَلَى الْأَمِيرِ فَوَدَّعْنَاهُ قُلْتُ مَا شِئْتَ قَالَ فَدَخَلْنَا عَلَى مَرْوَانَ وَعِنْدَهُ نَفَرٌ فِيهِمْ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ فَذَكَرُوا الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الَّتِي يُصَلِّيهِمَا ابْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ فَقَالَ لَهُ مَرْوَانُ مِمَّنْ أَخَذْتَهُمَا يَا ابْنَ الزُّبَيْرِ؟ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي بِهِمَا أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ فَأَرْسَلَ مَرْوَانُ إِلَى عَائِشَةَ مَا رَكْعَتَانِ يَذْكُرُهُمَا ابْنُ الزُّبَيْرِأَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ أَخْبَرَهُ عَنْكِ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ كَانَ يُصَلِّيهِمَا بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ؟ فَأَرْسَلَتْ إِلَيْهِ أَخْبَرَتْنِي أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ مَا رَكْعَتَانِ زَعَمَتْ عَائِشَةُ أَنَّكِ أَخْبَرْتِهَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ كَانَ يُصَلِّيهِمَا بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ؟ فَقَالَتْ يَغْفِرُ اللهُ لِعَائِشَةَ لَقَدْ وَضَعَتْ أَمْرِي عَلَى غَيْرِ مَوْضِعِهِ صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ الظُّهْرَ وَقَدْ أُتِيَ بِمَالٍ فَقَعَدَ يَقْسِمُهُ حَتَّى أَتَاهُ الْمُؤَذِّنُ بِالْعَصْرِ فَصَلَّى الْعَصْرَ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ إِلَيَّ وَكَانَ يَوْمِي فَرَكَعَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ خَفِيفَتَيْنِ فَقُلْتُ مَا هَاتَانِ الرَّكْعَتَانِ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أُمِرْتَ بِهِمَا؟ قَالَ لَا وَلَكِنَّهُمَا رَكْعَتَانِ كُنْتُ أَرْكَعُهُمَا بَعْدَ الظُّهْرِ فَشَغَلَنِي قَسْمُ هَذَا الْمَالِ حَتَّى جَاءَنِي الْمُؤَذِّنُ بِالْعَصْرِ فَكَرِهْتُ أَنْ أَدَعَهُمَا فَقَالَ ابْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ اللهُ أَكْبَرُ أَلَيْسَ قَدْ صَلَّاهُمَا مَرَّةً وَاحِدَةً؟ وَاللهِ لَا أَدَعُهُمَا أَبَدًا وَقَالَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ مَا رَأَيْتُهُ صَلَّاهُمَا قَبْلَهَا وَلَا بَعْدَهَا  

[Machine] "Some people used to pray these two rak'ahs, but we did not see the Messenger of Allah ﷺ praying them or commanding them. Ibn Abbas said, 'This is what people should be advised about.' Ibn Zubayr said, 'A man came to Ibn Zubayr and asked, 'With what do people pray these two rak'ahs?' Ibn Zubayr said, 'Aisha narrated to me from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that he sent two men to her, saying, 'The Commander of the Believers greets you with salaam and says, 'Did ibn Zubayr claim that you ordered him to pray these two rak'ahs after Asr prayer?' Aisha said, 'That is what Umm Salamah informed him,' so we went to Umm Salamah and told her what Aisha said. Umm Salamah said, 'May Allah have mercy on her, did I not inform her that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prohibited them?'""  

أَنَّ أُنَاسًا يُصَلُّونَهَا وَلَمْ نَرَ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ صَلَّاهُمَا وَلَا أَمَرَ بِهِمَا قَالَ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ ذَاكَ مَا يُفْتِي النَّاسُ بِهِ ابْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ قَالَ فَجَاءَ ابْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ فَقَالَ مَا رَكْعَتَانِ تُفْتِي بِهِمَا النَّاسُ؟ فَقَالَ ابْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ حَدَّثَتْنِي عَائِشَةُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى عَائِشَةَ رَجُلَيْنِ أَنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَقْرَأُ عَلَيْكِ السَّلَامَ وَيَقُولُ مَا رَكْعَتَانِ زَعَمَ ابْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ أَنَّكِ أَمَرْتِيهِ بِهِمَا بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ؟ قَالَ فَقَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ ذَاكَ مَا أَخْبَرَتْهُ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ قَالَ فَدَخَلْنَا عَلَى أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ فَأَخْبَرْنَاهَا مَا قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ فَقَالَتْ يَرْحَمُهَا اللهُ أَوَلَمْ أُخْبِرْهَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَدْ نَهَىعَنْهُمَا  

[Machine] "So I approached her and she was praying the Duha prayer, so I said, 'I will sit until she finishes.' They said, 'No, it's okay,' but I asked her how I should seek permission from her. She said, 'Say, "Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. Peace be upon the mothers of the believers or the wives of the Prophet ﷺ. Peace be upon you all." He said, 'So I entered upon her and asked her. She said, 'It is the home of a bachelor, indeed. The people of the household are indeed good people.' I asked her about al-Wisal (remaining in the mosque from Fajr prayer until Ishraq prayer). She said, 'When the Battle of Uhud happened, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his Companions performed prayers separately. When they saw the crescent moon, they informed the Prophet ﷺ. He said, 'If it had increased, I would have indeed increased. He was asked, 'Do you do that or something similar?' He said, 'I am not like you. I spend the night in a state that my Lord feeds me and gives me drink.' I asked her about the two Rak'ahs after 'Asr prayer. She said, 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent a man to collect Sadaqah. He came to him at midday. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ offered the Dhuhr prayer and prayed those two Rak'ahs. Then he offered the 'Asr prayer and prayed those two Rak'ahs. She said, 'Upon you is to pray the night prayer, for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ never neglected it. Even if he was sick, he would recite while sitting.' And I knew that some of you say, 'It is enough for me to establish what has been written for me, how can I have that and then ask her about the day in which there is difference regarding Ramadan?' She said, 'Because fasting a day in Sha'ban is more beloved to me than fasting a day in Ramadan.' He said, 'So I went out and asked Ibn 'Umar and Abu Hurairah, and each of them said, 'The wives of the Prophet ﷺ know more about that than us.'  

فَأَتَيْتُهَا فَإِذَا هِيَ تُصَلِّي الضُّحَى فَقُلْتُ أَقْعُدُ حَتَّى تَفْرُغَ فَقَالُوا هَيْهَاتَ فَقُلْتُ لِآذِنِهَا كَيْفَ أَسْتَأْذِنُ عَلَيْهَا؟ فَقَالَ قُلْ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللهِ الصَّالِحِينَ السَّلَامُ عَلَى أُمَّهَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَوْ أَزْوَاجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ قَالَ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَيْهَا فَسَأَلْتُهَا فَقَالَتْ أَخُو عَازِبٍ نِعْمَ أَهْلُ الْبَيْتِ فَسَأَلْتُهَا عَنِ الْوِصَالِ؟ فَقَالَتْ لَمَّا كَانَ يَوْمُ أُحُدٍ وَاصَلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَأَصْحَابُهُ فَشَقَّ عَلَيْهِمْ فَلَمَّا رَأَوْا الْهِلَالَ أَخْبَرُوا النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ لَوْ زَادَ لَزِدْتُ فَقِيلَ لَهُ إِنَّكَ تَفْعَلُ ذَاكَ أَوْ شَيْئًا نَحْوَهُ قَالَ إِنِّي لَسْتُ مِثْلَكُمْ إِنِّي أَبِيتُ يُطْعِمُنِي رَبِّي وَيَسْقِينِي وَسَأَلْتُهَا عَنِ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ؟ فَقَالَتْ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ بَعَثَ رَجُلًا عَلَى الصَّدَقَةِ قَالَتْ فَجَاءَتْهُ عِنْدَ الظُّهْرِ فَصَلَّى رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ الظُّهْرَ وَشُغِلَ فِي قِسْمَتِهِ حَتَّى صَلَّى الْعَصْرَ ثُمَّ صَلَّاهَا وَقَالَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ بِقِيَامِ اللَّيْلِ فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ كَانَ لَا يَدَعُهُ فَإِنْ مَرِضَ قَرَأَ وَهُوَ قَاعِدٌ وَقَدْ عَرَفْتُ أَنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ يَقُولُ بِحَسْبِي أَنْ أُقِيمَ مَا كُتِبَ لِي وَأَنَّى لَهُ ذَلِكَوَسَأَلْتُهَا عَنِ الْيَوْمِالَّذِي يُخْتَلَفُ فِيهِ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ؟ فَقَالَتْ لَأَنْ أَصُومَ يَوْمًا مِنْ شَعْبَانَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أُفْطِرَ يَوْمًا مِنْ رَمَضَانَ قَالَ فَخَرَجْتُ فَسَأَلْتُ ابْنَ عُمَرَ وَأَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ فَكُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا قَالَ أَزْوَاجُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَعْلَمُ بِذَاكَ مِنَّا  

"عَنْ عبد اللهِ بن الْحَارث قَالَ: دَخَلْتُ عَلَى مُعَاوِيَة مَعَ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ فَأَدْنَاهُ وأجلسه مَعَه، ثُمَّ قَالَ لَه: ما ركعتان يُصَلِّيهمَا النَّاسُ بَعْد الْعَصْرِ؟ فَقَالَ: هَذَا مِمَّا يُفْتِيهم ابن الزُّبَيْرِ فَأَرْسَل إِلى ابن الزُّبَير فَقَالَ: أَخْبَرتْنِي بِهَذَا عَائِشة أَنَّ رسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ صَلَّاهُمَا، فَأَرْسَل إِلى عائِشَة فَقَالَتْ: أَخْبَرتْنِي بِذَلكَ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ، فَانْطَلَق الرَّسُولُ إِلَى أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ فَقَالَتْ: يَرْحَمُهَا اللهُ مَا أَرَادَتْ إلى هَذَا قَد أَخْبَرتُهَا أنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ نَهَى عَنْهُمَا، وَبَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فِي بَيْتِي إذْ تَوَضَّأَ لِلُّظهرِ وَكَانَ كثر عْنِدَهُ الْمُهَاجرُونَ، وَكَانَ بَعَثَ سَاعِيًا فَاسْتَبطَأهُ فَبَيْنَمَا هُو كَذَلكَ إذْ ضرب الْبَاب فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِ فَصَلَّى الظُّهَر ثُمَّ جَلَسَ يُقَسِّم مَا جَاءَ بِهِ حَتَّى فَرغَ عنْد الْعَصْرِ فَرآهُ بِلَالٌ فَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ، وَصَلَّى الْعَصْر، ثُمَّ

دَخَلَ بَيْتَي فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتْينِ فَسَأَلْتهُ عَنْهُمَا، فَقَالَ: هُمَا ركْعَتانِ كُنْت أُصَليهما بَعْد الظُّهْر فَشَغَلنِي عَمَّا كنت فِيهِ فَصَلَّيْتُهُمَا بَعد الْعَصْرِ، فَكَرِهْتُ أَنْ أُصَلِّيهُما فِي الْمَسْجِد وَالنَّاسُ يَرَوْنِي فَصَلَّيْتُهُمَا عِنْدَكِ".