Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
muslim:689aʿAbdullāh b. Maslamah b. Qaʿnab > ʿĪsá b. Ḥafṣ b. ʿĀṣim b. ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb from his father

I accompanied Ibn 'Umar on the road to Mecca and he led us in two rak'ahs at the noon prayer, then he went forward and we too went along with him to a place where he alighted, and he sat and we sat along with him, and he cast a glance to the side where he said prayer and he saw people standing and asked: What are they doing? I said: They are engaged in glorifying Allah, offering Sunnah prayer. He said: If I had done so I would have perfected my prayer; O my nephew! I accompanied the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on a journey, and he made no addittion to two rak'ahs, till Allah called him. I accompanied Abu Bakr and he made no addition to two rak'ahs till Allah caused him to die. I accompanied 'Umar and he made no addition to two rak'ahs till Allah caused him to die. I accompanied 'Uthman and he made no addition to two rak'ahs, till Allah caused him to die, and Allah has said:" There is a model pattern for you in the Messenger of Allah" (al-Qur'an, xxxiii. 21).  

مسلم:٦٨٩aوَحَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ بْنِ قَعْنَبٍ حَدَّثَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ حَفْصِ بْنِ عَاصِمِ بْنِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ صَحِبْتُ ابْنَ عُمَرَ فِي طَرِيقِ مَكَّةَ قَالَ

فَصَلَّى لَنَا الظُّهْرَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ وَأَقْبَلْنَا مَعَهُ حَتَّى جَاءَ رَحْلَهُ وَجَلَسَ وَجَلَسْنَا مَعَهُ فَحَانَتْ مِنْهُ الْتِفَاتَةٌ نَحْوَ حَيْثُ صَلَّى فَرَأَى نَاسًا قِيَامًا فَقَالَ مَا يَصْنَعُ هَؤُلاَءِ قُلْتُ يُسَبِّحُونَ قَالَ لَوْ كُنْتُ مُسَبِّحًا لأَتْمَمْتُ صَلاَتِي يَا ابْنَ أَخِي إِنِّي صَحِبْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي السَّفَرِ فَلَمْ يَزِدْ عَلَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ حَتَّى قَبَضَهُ اللَّهُ وَصَحِبْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلَمْ يَزِدْ عَلَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ حَتَّى قَبَضَهُ اللَّهُ وَصَحِبْتُ عُمَرَ فَلَمْ يَزِدْ عَلَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ حَتَّى قَبَضَهُ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ صَحِبْتُ عُثْمَانَ فَلَمْ يَزِدْ عَلَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ حَتَّى قَبَضَهُ اللَّهُ وَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ { لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ}  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Abū Dāwūd, Ibn Mājah, Bayhaqī
abudawud:1223al-Qaʿnabī > ʿĪsá b. Ḥafṣ b. ʿĀṣim b. ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb from his father

I accompanied Ibn 'Umar on the way (on a journey). He led us in two rak'ah's of (the noon) prayer. Then he proceeded and saw some people standing. He asked: What are they doing ? I replied: They are glorifying Allah (i.e. offering supererogatory prayer). He said: If I had offered the supererogatory prayer (while travelling), I would have completed prayer, my cousin. I accompanied the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during the journey, he did not pray more than two raka'at until his death. I also accompanied Abu Bakr, and he prayed two raka'at and nothing more until he died. I also accompanied 'Umar, and he prayed two raka'at and nothing more until he died. I also accompanied 'Uthman, and he prayed two raka'at and nothing more until he died. Indeed Allah, the Exalted, said: "Certainly you have in the Messenger of Allah an excellent exemplar"  

أبو داود:١٢٢٣حَدَّثَنَا الْقَعْنَبِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ حَفْصِ بْنِ عَاصِمِ بْنِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ صَحِبْتُ ابْنَ عُمَرَ فِي طَرِيقٍ قَالَ فَصَلَّى بِنَا رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ فَرَأَى نَاسًا قِيَامًا فَقَالَ مَا يَصْنَعُ هَؤُلاَءِ قُلْتُ يُسَبِّحُونَ قَالَ

لَوْ كُنْتُ مُسَبِّحًا أَتْمَمْتُ صَلاَتِي يَا ابْنَ أَخِي إِنِّي صَحِبْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي السَّفَرِ فَلَمْ يَزِدْ عَلَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ حَتَّى قَبَضَهُ اللَّهُ ﷻ وَصَحِبْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلَمْ يَزِدْ عَلَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ حَتَّى قَبَضَهُ اللَّهُ ﷻ وَصَحِبْتُ عُمَرَ فَلَمْ يَزِدْ عَلَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ حَتَّى قَبَضَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَصَحِبْتُ عُثْمَانَ فَلَمْ يَزِدْ عَلَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ حَتَّى قَبَضَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ ﷻ { لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ }  

ibnmajah:1071Abū Bakr b. Khalāad al-Bāhilī > Abū ʿĀmir > ʿĪsá b. Ḥafṣ b. ʿĀṣim b. ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb from my father

“We were with Ibn ‘Umar on a journey, and he led us in prayer. Then we finished with him and he finished turning around, and saw some people praying. He said: ‘What are these people doing?’ I said: ‘Glorifying Allah.’* He said: ‘If I wanted to glorify Allah (perform voluntary prayer) I would have completed my prayer. O son of my brother! I accompanied the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he never prayed more than two Rak’ah when he was traveling, until Allah took his soul. Then I accompanied Abu Bakr and he never prayed more than two Rak’ah (when he was traveling), until Allah took his soul. Then I accompanied ‘Umar and he never prayed more than two Rak’ah, until Allah took his soul. Then I accompanied ‘Uthman and he never prayed more than two Rak’ah, until Allah took his soul. Allah says: ‘Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad ﷺ) you have a good example to follow.’” [33:21] * Meaning, they were offering voluntary prayer.  

ابن ماجة:١٠٧١حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ خَلاَّدٍ الْبَاهِلِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَامِرٍ عَنْ عِيسَى بْنِ حَفْصِ بْنِ عَاصِمِ بْنِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي قَالَ كَنَّا مَعَ ابْنِ عُمَرَ فِي سَفَرٍ فَصَلَّى بِنَا ثُمَّ انْصَرَفْنَا مَعَهُ وَانْصَرَفَ قَالَ فَالْتَفَتَ فَرَأَى أُنَاسًا يُصَلُّونَ فَقَالَ

مَا يَصْنَعُ هَؤُلاَءِ قُلْتُ يُسَبِّحُونَ قَالَ لَوْ كُنْتُ مُسَبِّحًا لأَتْمَمْتُ صَلاَتِي يَا ابْنَ أَخِي إِنِّي صَحِبْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَلَمْ يَزِدْ عَلَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ فِي السَّفَرِ حَتَّى قَبَضَهُ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ صَحِبْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلَمْ يَزِدْ عَلَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ صَحِبْتُ عُمَرَ فَلَمْ يَزِدْ عَلَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ صَحِبْتُ عُثْمَانَ فَلَمْ يَزِدْ عَلَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ حَتَّى قَبَضَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ يَقُولُ {لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ }  

bayhaqi:5507Abū ʿAlī al-Rūdhbārī > Abū Bakr b. Dāsah > Abū Dāwud > al-Qaʿnabī > ʿĪsá b. Ḥafṣ b. ʿĀṣim b. ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb from his father > Ṣaḥibt

I accompanied Ibn 'Umar on the way (on a journey). He led us in two rak'ah's of (the noon) prayer. Then he proceeded and saw some people standing. He asked: What are they doing ? I replied: They are glorifying Allah (i.e. offering supererogatory prayer). He said: If I had offered the supererogatory prayer (while travelling), I would have completed prayer, my cousin. I accompanied the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during the journey, he did not pray more than two raka'at until his death. I also accompanied Abu Bakr, and he prayed two raka'at and nothing more until he died. I also accompanied 'Umar, and he prayed two raka'at and nothing more until he died. I also accompanied 'Uthman, and he prayed two raka'at and nothing more until he died. Indeed Allah, the Exalted, said: "Certainly you have in the Messenger of Allah an excellent exemplar" (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 1223)   

البيهقي:٥٥٠٧أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الرُّوذْبَارِيُّ أنبأ أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ دَاسَةَ ثنا أَبُو دَاوُدَ ثنا الْقَعْنَبِيُّ ثنا عِيسَى بْنُ حَفْصِ بْنِ عَاصِمِ بْنِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ صَحِبْتُ ابْنَ عُمَرَ فِي طَرِيقِ مَكَّةَ قَالَ فَصَلَّى بِنَا رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ فَرَأَى نَاسًا قِيَامًا فَقَالَ مَا يَصْنَعُ هَؤُلَاءِ؟ قُلْتُ يُسَبِّحُونَ قَالَ

لَوْ كُنْتُ مُسَبِّحًا أَتْمَمْتُ صَلَاتِي يَا ابْنَ أَخَى إِنِّي صَحِبْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ فِي السَّفَرِ فَلَمْ يَزِدْ عَلَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ حَتَّى قَبَضَهُ اللهُ وَصَحِبْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ ؓ فَلَمْ يَزِدْ عَلَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ حَتَّى قَبَضَهُ اللهُ وَصَحِبْتُ عُمَرَ فَلَمْ يَزِدْ عَلَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ حَتَّى قَبَضَهُ اللهُ وَصَحِبْتُ عُثْمَانَ فَلَمْ يَزِدْ عَلَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ حَتَّى قَبَضَهُ اللهُ وَقَدْ قَالَ اللهُ ﷻ {لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ} [الأحزاب 21]  

رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنِ الْقَعْنَبِيِّ وَأَخْرَجَهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ مِنْ وَجْهٍ آخَرَ عَنْ عِيسَى بْنِ حَفْصٍ