Is the story of the travelers from Ibn 'Abbas established in Muslim?

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Did you not hear?
Al-Huwayni: He says: Is the story of the travelers from Ibn 'Abbas established in Muslim?

The Shaykh: Did he mention the word "travelers"?

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh: In "Sahih Muslim," the hadith is in "Sahih Muslim" definitively, and in "Musnad al-Imam Ahmad" and others - as well.
I return to draw attention to a very important matter in this hadith of Anas; namely, that we all know that standing in the obligatory prayer is a pillar of the prayer. So if a person of sound health prays his obligatory prayer sitting, his prayer is invalid. We find in this hadith of Anas that I recited earlier that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) dropped this pillar from the follower, for nothing else but so that he would not differ from his imam. His imam is praying sitting - of course, he is excused - the follower is not excused to pray sitting, but he is excused by the Shari'ah, indeed compelled by the Shari'ah, to pray behind the sitting imam while sitting. Why? To realize the principle: . The imam is praying sitting, and the people behind him are praying standing. This is one of the clearest images in which the difference that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade in this authentic hadith is realized, when he said: .
We deduce from this hadith that following the imam is a very important matter, to the extent that the Wise Lawgiver, through His noble Prophet, dropped the pillar from the healthy person, for nothing else but so that he would not differ from the imam. If we know this, and the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas from "Sahih Muslim" and Imam Ahmad has preceded us, we say: Now, a traveler has followed a resident; do not differ with him. The imam is still praying; so he separates from him. This separation is a very great difference, first. And second, as for those who go to the obligation of the traveler limiting himself to two rak'ahs behind the resident imam; we said they have no proof except returning to the original text: "The prayer was made two rak'ahs, two rak'ahs." But do you think this text was applied in this specific issue - namely: the traveler following the resident? It was not applied in all the eras that have passed since the time of the Messenger (peace be upon him) to today, without doubt or doubt. So bring one text that occurred in the time of the Companions or the Successors or those after them where a follower who was a traveler differed from his imam and separated from him on the pretext that Allah (the Exalted) obligated him only two rak'ahs?
This argument is exactly equal to if the imam sat in prayer to pray sitting while excused; it is equal to one who prays behind him standing on the pretext that I am healthy, and that I must stand, and my prayer is invalid if I sit like the imam. The excused imam has his prayer, and I have my prayer. This is exactly like that. And if we know that the Messenger (peace be upon him) dropped the pillar in the second case so that he would not differ from the imam, likewise we say that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) orders this traveler, when he follows the imam, to pray four and not two, to realize following the imam. And for this there are many, and very many, examples.
In the Musjid al-Khaif here, and in the Farewell Pilgrimage, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed the Fajr prayer one day. When he finished, he found two men whose position indicated that they had not participated in the congregation in the prayer. So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) called them and said to them: They said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." He said: They said: "O Messenger of Allah, we had already prayed in our tents." The understanding of these two in their answer is that they had learned from their Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that , so they performed the obligation in their tent. When they came to the mosque and found the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in prayer, they saw that they should not repeat the prayer a second time; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the authentic hadith: . So what did the Messenger (peace be upon him) answer them? He added a condition to that hadith and said: . What is the understanding of this issue? And what is its connection to our previous issue?
Its understanding is: that what is originally prohibited becomes permissible, indeed obligatory, due to a circumstance that arises. Here, the original rule is that one does not pray an obligatory prayer twice, and on this the two men based their action. But the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified to them that the rule is as you know, but this image is an exception to the rule: . So, if we compare this specific image with the general hadith: , we would find a contradiction at first glance. But there is no contradiction; because the first hadith is general and was specified by this detail. But I say the understanding of that is that what was previously prohibited and forbidden became permissible, indeed obligatory. Why? To agree with the congregation, to join the congregation. So tell me: How is it prescribed that the traveler follows the resident imam and then separates from him, and then separates from him? Why? Because he returned to the original rule, just as the two men returned to the original rule. But just as a specification entered that original rule, so a specification entered their original rule that the traveler's prayer is two rak'ahs; namely, the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) on one hand; and the strong, precise deduction on the other hand from the hadith of Anas which dropped the pillar from the healthy person who prays behind the sitting imam due to illness. All of this so that this difference does not appear. And the matter of difference is a very, very important matter, and much of what is originally prohibited is tolerated in order to avoid falling into it.
And perhaps I will conclude the answer regarding this issue - and close your pages - with what came in "Sunan Abu Dawud" that Uthman ibn 'Affan (may Allah be pleased with him), when he led the people in Hajj during his caliphate, and descended here in Mina, prayed as a resident. He prayed four rak'ahs, and did not pray shortened. So some of the Companions disapproved of that for him, and among them was Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with them all). But the strange thing in the subject - and here is the point - is that Ibn Mas'ud, who disapproved of his deviation from the Sunnah and from Uthman, and others besides us are not in this context now, but nevertheless they said to him: The Sunnah is that the Messenger (peace be upon him) in the Farewell Pilgrimage prayed here shortened. Ibn Mas'ud was among those who disapproved of him, but nevertheless, when he prayed behind him, he prayed four. It was said to him: How do you disapprove and then pray four behind him? So he used to say - and I hope you memorize this phrase; because it is considered a pillar in the way of eliminating many of the intellectual disagreements that the debate continues around today much between individuals and groups. What is this phrase? - Why do you disapprove and then pray four? He said: "Disagreement is evil." If disagreement is evil, and your Messenger orders you to follow the imam, so you follow your opinion, and say the original rule is two rak'ahs?! This original rule has a specification entered it, so hold fast to the specific text; because "the specific text overrides the general text," as is established in the science of the principles of jurisprudence.
And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.