"I heard Mujahid narrating from Abu Ayyash Az-Zuraqi"- Shu'bah said: "He had written it for me, and I read it before him, and I heard him narrating it; rather, I even memorized it." Ibn Bashshar said: "I memorized it from the book"- "The Prophet ﷺ was drawing up ranks facing the enemy in 'Usfan when the idolaters were led by Khalid bin Al-Walid. The Prophet ﷺ led them in praying Zuhr. The idolaters said: 'They have a prayer after this that is dearer to them than their wealth and sons.' Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ led them in praying 'Asr. He divided them into two rows, behind him. He led them all in bowing, then when they raised their heads he led the row that was closest to him in prostrating, while the others remained standing. When they raised their heads from prostration, the second row prostrated, as they had already bowed with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Then the front row moved forward, so each of them took the place of his companion. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ led them all in bowing, then when they raised their heads from bowing, the row that was closest to him prostrated while the others remained standing, then when they had finished prostrating, the others prostrated, then the Prophet ﷺ said the taslim for all of them together.  

شُعْبَةُ كَتَبَ بِهِ إِلَىَّ وَقَرَأْتُهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَمِعْتُهُ مِنْهُ يُحَدِّثُ وَلَكِنِّي حَفِظْتُهُ قَالَ ابْنُ بَشَّارٍ فِي حَدِيثِهِ حِفْظِي مِنَ الْكِتَابِ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ مُصَافَّ الْعَدُوِّ بِعُسْفَانَ وَعَلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ خَالِدُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ فَصَلَّى بِهِمُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ الظُّهْرَ قَالَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ إِنَّ لَهُمْ صَلاَةً بَعْدَ هَذِهِ هِيَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَبْنَائِهِمْ فَصَلَّى بِهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْعَصْرَ فَصَفَّهُمْ صَفَّيْنِ خَلْفَهُ فَرَكَعَ بِهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ جَمِيعًا فَلَمَّا رَفَعُوا رُءُوسَهُمْ سَجَدَ بِالصَّفِّ الَّذِي يَلِيهِ وَقَامَ الآخَرُونَ فَلَمَّا رَفَعُوا رُءُوسَهُمْ مِنَ السُّجُودِ سَجَدَ الصَّفُّ الْمُؤَخَّرُ بِرُكُوعِهِمْ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ ثُمَّ تَأَخَّرَ الصَّفُّ الْمُقَدَّمُ وَتَقَدَّمَ الصَّفُّ الْمُؤَخَّرُ فَقَامَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ فِي مَقَامِ صَاحِبِهِ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ بِهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ جَمِيعًا فَلَمَّا رَفَعُوا رُءُوسَهُمْ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ سَجَدَ الصَّفُّ الَّذِي يَلِيهِ وَقَامَ الآخَرُونَ فَلَمَّا فَرَغُوا مِنْ سُجُودِهِمْ سَجَدَ الآخَرُونَ ثُمَّ سَلَّمَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ عَلَيْهِمْ  

We accompanied the Messenger of Allah ﷺ at Usfan, and Khalid ibn al-Walid was the chief of unbelievers. We offered the noon prayer. Thereupon, the unbelievers said: We suffered from negligence; we became careless. We should have attacked them while they were praying. Thereupon the verse was revealed, relating to the shortening of the prayer (in time of danger) between the noon and afternoon (prayer). When the time of the afternoon prayer came, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood facing the qiblah, and the unbelievers were standing in front of him. The people stood in a row behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and there was another row behind this row. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ bowed and all of them bowed. He then prostrated and also the row near him prostrated. The other people in the second row remained standing and stood guard over them. When they performed two prostrations and stood up, those who were behind them prostrated. The people in the front row near him then stepped backward taking the place of the people in the second row and the second row took the place of the first row. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then bowed and all of them bowed together. Then he and the row near him prostrated themselves. The other people in the second row remained standing and stood guard over them. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the row near him (i.e. the front row) were seated, the people in the second row behind them prostrated themselves. Then all of them were seated. (He (the Prophet) then uttered the salutation upon all of them. He prayed in his manner at Usfan as well as at the territory of Banu Sulaym. Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by Ayyub and Hisham from Abu al-Zubair on the authority of Jabir to the same effect from the Prophet ﷺ. Similarly, this has been transmitted by Dawud b. Husain from 'Ikrimah, on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas. This has also been reported by 'Abd al-Malik, from 'Ata' from Jabir in like manner. This has also been narrated by Qatadah from al-Hasan from Hittan on the authority of Abu Musa in a similar way. Similarly, this has been reported by 'Ikrimah b. Khalid from Mujahid from the Prophet ﷺ. This has also been reported by Hisham b. 'Urwah from his father from the Prophet ﷺ. This is the opinion of al-Thawri.  

كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِعُسْفَانَ وَعَلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ خَالِدُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ فَصَلَّيْنَا الظُّهْرَ فَقَالَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ لَقَدْ أَصَبْنَا غِرَّةً لَقَدْ أَصَبْنَا غَفْلَةً لَوْ كُنَّا حَمَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ وَهُمْ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَنَزَلَتْ آيَةُ الْقَصْرِ بَيْنَ الظُّهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ فَلَمَّا حَضَرَتِ الْعَصْرُ قَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مُسْتَقْبِلَ الْقِبْلَةِ وَالْمُشْرِكُونَ أَمَامَهُ فَصَفَّ خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَفٌّ وَصَفَّ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ الصَّفِّ صَفٌّ آخَرُ فَرَكَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَرَكَعُوا جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ سَجَدَ وَسَجَدَ الصَّفُّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُ وَقَامَ الآخَرُونَ يَحْرُسُونَهُمْ فَلَمَّا صَلَّى هَؤُلاَءِ السَّجْدَتَيْنِ وَقَامُوا سَجَدَ الآخَرُونَ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا خَلْفَهُمْ ثُمَّ تَأَخَّرَ الصَّفُّ الَّذِي يَلِيهِ إِلَى مَقَامِ الآخَرِينَ وَتَقَدَّمَ الصَّفُّ الأَخِيرُ إِلَى مَقَامِ الصَّفِّ الأَوَّلِ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَرَكَعُوا جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ سَجَدَ وَسَجَدَ الصَّفُّ الَّذِي يَلِيهِ وَقَامَ الآخَرُونَ يَحْرُسُونَهُمْ فَلَمَّا جَلَسَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَالصَّفُّ الَّذِي يَلِيهِ سَجَدَ الآخَرُونَ ثُمَّ جَلَسُوا جَمِيعًا فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِمْ جَمِيعًا فَصَلاَّهَا بِعُسْفَانَ وَصَلاَّهَا يَوْمَ بَنِي سُلَيْمٍ  

"I heard Mujahid narrating from Abu Ayyash Az-Zuraqi"- Shu'bah said: "He had written it for me, and I read it before him, and I heard him narrating it; rather, I even memorized it." Ibn Bashshar said: "I memorized it from the book"- "The Prophet ﷺ was drawing up ranks facing the enemy in 'Usfan when the idolaters were led by Khalid bin Al-Walid. The Prophet ﷺ led them in praying Zuhr. The idolaters said: 'They have a prayer after this that is dearer to them than their wealth and sons.' Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ led them in praying 'Asr. He divided them into two rows, behind him. He led them all in bowing, then when they raised their heads he led the row that was closest to him in prostrating, while the others remained standing. When they raised their heads from prostration, the second row prostrated, as they had already bowed with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Then the front row moved forward, so each of them took the place of his companion. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ led them all in bowing, then when they raised their heads from bowing, the row that was closest to him prostrated while the others remained standing, then when they had finished prostrating, the others prostrated, then the Prophet ﷺ said the taslim for all of them together. (Using translation from Nasāʾī 1549)  

شُعْبَةُ كَتَبَ بِهِ إِلَيَّ وَقَرَأْتُهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَمِعْتُهُ مِنْهُ يُحَدِّثُ بِهِ وَلَكِنِّي حَفِظْتُهُ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ فِي مَصَافِّ الْعَدُوِّ بِعُسْفَانَ وَعَلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ خَالِدُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ فَصَلَّى بِهِمُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ الظُّهْرَ ثُمَّ قَالَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ إِنَّ لَهُمْ صَلَاةً بَعْدَ هَذِهِ هِيَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ أَبْنَائِهِمْ وَأَمْوَالِهِمْ قَالَ فَصَلَّى بِهِمْ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ الْعَصْرَ فَصَفَّهُمْ صَفَّيْنِ خَلْفَهُ قَالَ فَرَكَعَ بِهِمْ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ جَمِيعًا فَلَمَّا رَفَعُوا رُءُوسَهُمْ سَجَدَ الصَّفُّ الَّذِي يَلِيهِ وَقَامَ الْآخَرُونَ فَلَمَّا رَفَعُوا رُءُوسَهُمْ سَجَدَ الصَّفُّ الْمُؤَخَّرُ لِرُكُوعِهِمْ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ ثُمَّ تَأَخَّرَ الصَّفُّ الْمُقَدَّمُ وَتَقَدَّمَ الصَّفُّ الْمُؤَخَّرُ فَقَامَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ فِي مَقَامِ صَاحِبِهِ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ بِهِمْ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ جَمِيعًا فَلَمَّا رَفَعُوا رُءُوسَهُمْ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ سَجَدَ الصَّفُّ الَّذِي يَلِيهِ وَقَامَ الْآخَرُونَثُمَّ سَلَّمَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ عَلَيْهِمْ  

"I heard Mujahid narrating from Abu Ayyash Az-Zuraqi"- Shu'bah said: "He had written it for me, and I read it before him, and I heard him narrating it; rather, I even memorized it." Ibn Bashshar said: "I memorized it from the book"- "The Prophet ﷺ was drawing up ranks facing the enemy in 'Usfan when the idolaters were led by Khalid bin Al-Walid. The Prophet ﷺ led them in praying Zuhr. The idolaters said: 'They have a prayer after this that is dearer to them than their wealth and sons.' Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ led them in praying 'Asr. He divided them into two rows, behind him. He led them all in bowing, then when they raised their heads he led the row that was closest to him in prostrating, while the others remained standing. When they raised their heads from prostration, the second row prostrated, as they had already bowed with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Then the front row moved forward, so each of them took the place of his companion. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ led them all in bowing, then when they raised their heads from bowing, the row that was closest to him prostrated while the others remained standing, then when they had finished prostrating, the others prostrated, then the Prophet ﷺ said the taslim for all of them together. (Using translation from Nasāʾī 1549)   

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ مَصَافَّ الْعَدُوِّ بِعُسْفَانَ وَعَلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ خَالِدُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ فَصَلَّى بِهِمُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ الظُّهْرَ ثُمَّ قَالَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ إِنَّ لَهُمْ صَلَاةً هِيَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَبْنَائِهِمْ فَصَلَّى بِهِمْ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَصَفَّهُمْ صَفَّيْنِ خَلْفَهُ فَرَكَعَ بِهِمْ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ جَمِيعًا فَلَمَّا رَفَعُوا رُءُوسَهُمْ سَجَدَ الصَّفُّ الَّذِي يَلِيهِ وَقَامَ الْآخَرُونَ فَلَمَّا رَفَعُوا رُءُوسَهُمْ مِنَ السُّجُودِ سَجَدَ الصَّفُّ الْمُؤَخَّرُ لِرُكُوعِهِمْ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ ثُمَّ تَأَخَّرَ الصَّفُّ الْمُقَدَّمُ وَتَقَدَّمَ الصَّفُّ الْمُؤَخَّرُ فَقَامَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا فِي مَقَامِ صَاحِبِهِ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ وَقَامَ الْآخَرُونَ فَلَمَّا فَرَغُوا مِنْ سُجُودِهِمْ سَجَدَ الْآخَرُونُ ثُمَّ سَلَّمَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ عَلَيْهِمْ  

[Machine] We were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in Usfan when the Zuhr prayer was due. On the horses of the polytheists was Khalid bin Al-Walid. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led his companions in the Zuhr prayer. The polytheists exclaimed, "They have a prayer after this one which they prefer over their own children, wealth, and selves. They refer to the Asr prayer." Then Jibril (Gabriel), upon him be peace, came down to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ between Zuhr and Asr and informed him of this. This verse was revealed: "And when you are among them and lead them in prayer, let a group stand [in prayer] with you and let them carry their arms" [Quran 4:102] until the end of the verse. So the prayer came and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ formed two rows, with them carrying their weapons. He said the Takbeer (Allahu Akbar) and the enemy in front of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ also said the Takbeer, all of them. They both performed the Rukoo' (bowing) and both prostrated- the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the row that followed him, while the others stood guard. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ finished, he stood up for the second unit of prayer and the others prostrated, and the first group advanced to the position of the other and the second group delayed their steps. Then he offered another unit of prayer with them and they all performed Rukoo' and prostration together. When they finished, the first group performed prostration while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the row that followed him stood guard. When they finished prostrating, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave the Salam (peaceful greetings). Abu Ayyash said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ performed this prayer twice. Once in Usfan and another time in the land of Bani Sulaym."  

كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ بِعُسْفَانَ فَحَضَرَتِ الصَّلَاةُ صَلَاةُ الظُّهْرِ وَعَلَى خَيْلِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ خَالِدُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ قَالَ فَصَلَّى رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بِأَصْحَابِهِ الظُّهْرَ قَالَ فَقَالَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ إِنَّ لَهُمْ صَلَاةً بَعْدَ هَذِهِ هِيَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ أَبْنَائِهِمْ وَأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنْفُسِهِمْ يَعْنُونَ صَلَاةَ الْعَصْرِ فَنَزَلَ جَبْرَئِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ بَيْنَ الظُّهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ فَأَخْبَرَهُ وَنَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ {وَإِذَا كُنْتَ فِيهِمْ فَأَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ الصَّلَاةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ مَعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوا أَسْلِحَتَهُمْ} [النساء 102] الْآيَةَ إِلَى آخِرِهَا فَحَضَرَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَصَفَّ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ صَفَّينِ وَعَلَيْهِمُ السِّلَاحُ فَكَبَّرَ وَالْعَدُوُّ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَكَبَّرُوا جَمِيعًا وَرَكَعُوا جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ سَجَدَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَالصَّفُّ الَّذِي يَلِيهِ وَالْآخَرُونَ قِيَامًا يَحْرُسُونَهُ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ قَامَ إِلَى الرَّكْعَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ وَسَجَدَ الْآخَرُونَ ثُمَّ تَقَدَّمَ هَؤُلَاءِ إِلَى مَصَافِّ هَؤُلَاءِ وَتَأَخَّرَ هَؤُلَاءِ إِلَى مَصَافِّ هَؤُلَاءِ فَصَلَّى بِهِمْ رَكْعَةً أُخْرَى فَرَكَعُوا جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ سَجَدَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَالصَّفُّ الَّذِي يَلِيهِ وَالْآخَرُونَ قِيَامًا يَحْرُسُونَهُمْ فَلَمَّا فَرَغُوا سَجَدَ هَؤُلَاءِ ثُمَّ سَلَّمَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ أَبُو عَيَّاشٍ فَصَلَّى رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ هَذِهِ الصَّلَاةَ مَرَّتَيْنِ مَرَّةً بِعُسْفَانَ وَمَرَّةً فِي أَرْضِ بَنِي سُلَيْمٍ