The recommended nature of the prostration of recitation, and a discussion of Uthman’s independent reasoning regarding completing the prayer.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good. Is Umar’s independent reasoning correct regarding the sermon?

The Shaykh : Regarding the prostration of recitation? Yes, it is correct, correct.

The questioner : It is correct in both instances.

The Shaykh : Both instances?

The questioner : He prostrated the first time, and the second time, yes, he prostrated.

The Shaykh : Ah, because prostration is a recommended practice, prostration is a recommended practice. So he did not prostrate the second time to make it clear to people that it is not obligatory, such that whoever leaves the prostration of recitation would not be sinful. So the prostration of recitation is a recommended practice but not obligatory. The three schools of jurisprudence agree on it being a recommended practice: the school of Malik, the school of al-Shafi'i, and the school of Ahmad. Imam Abu Hanifah (may Allah have mercy on him) says that the prostration of recitation is obligatory. And this story, in the absence of any evidence from the Book or the Sunnah contradicting it, is among the strong proofs that the prostration of recitation is not obligatory but rather a recommended practice. Whoever performs it is rewarded for it, and whoever leaves it commits no sin. Please proceed.

The questioner : Regarding the prostration...

The Shaykh : I was wondering just now, why was Ibn Mas'ud praying behind him when he knew that the Sunnah is to shorten the prayer? And this reminds me, by your indication, to clarify what you pointed to. What was the excuse of the Commander of the Faithful for contradicting the Sunnah here? The truth is that all the imams, starting from the Companions and you descending from them, have some independent reasoning that at first glance appears not permissible because it contradicts the text. This issue is one of those. It is established with certainty that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) always shortened the prayer in all his travels. In fact, it is established that he ordered it. As came in Sahih Muslim, a man said to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him): "If I had met the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), I would have asked him." He said: "What would you have asked him?" He said: "I would have asked him, for Allah the Exalted says: So I would have asked him: Why do we shorten the prayer when we are safe? Meaning, our Lord the Exalted negated the hardship in shortening the prayer with the condition of fear of the disbelievers. So after Allah gave victory to His Prophet over the disbelievers, and purified the lands of the Hijaz from shirk, why do the Muslims continue to shorten? And in the last year of his life (peace and blessings be upon him), which is the Farewell Pilgrimage as we mentioned, I would have asked the Messenger: Why do we shorten the prayer when we are safe? He said to him: "Rejoice, you have asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." And he said, and here is the point: Does a servant become arrogant toward his master and not accept his generous gift? He never does this. This is the servant with the master, the servant. So what about the servant with the Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He? Therefore, it is established with certainty that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) always shortened, and indeed ordered it, as you heard: So how did Uthman complete the prayer? They answered with two answers:
The first answer: He saw that his pilgrimage gathers people from scattered groups and different people, especially the Bedouin Arabs who, while living in the desert, do not have the opportunity to gain deep knowledge of the religion. So he would attend the pilgrimage and see the Caliph of the Muslims praying two rak'ahs, and oh my. And this talk leads to talk, as they say. Just as happened once in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), as narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim in their Sahihs, from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him). He said: "While we were praying behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) the 'Asr prayer, he said the taslim after the first two rak'ahs of the 'Asr prayer, then he moved to a side of the mosque and lay down like this, placing one leg over the other. The prayer ended and he needed to rest. He said, and here is the point, Abu Hurayrah says: 'The people rushed out. They were always praying four rak'ahs. They saw the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) praying two rak'ahs—and they knew that legal rulings are renewed—no sooner had the Messenger said the taslim from there than the one who rushed put on his sandals and went out. There was a man among the people named Dhu al-Yadayn (the Two-Handed One). It appears he was bold, or perhaps he was not polite, because among the people were Abu Bakr and 'Umar. So he was bold and said: 'O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), but his boldness was in its place. He said: O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), did the prayer become shorter, or did you forget?' He said: He said to him: 'Yes.' So he looked at the people, and among them were Abu Bakr and 'Umar. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: He said: 'Yes.' So he stood up from his place and returned to the place of prayer—and I do not say the mihrab for clarification, because there were no mihrabs in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), but rather to the place where he had prayed—and he prayed two rak'ahs, then prostrated the two prostrations of forgetfulness, then said the taslim." This story, as we said, is in the two Sahihs, and the point of it is that the group who were in a hurry, no sooner did they hear the taslim of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) after the first two rak'ahs than they went out.
So Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) exercised independent reasoning and saw that these Bedouin Arabs gathered from all the deserts in that great season might understand that the prayer was shortened permanently. It is not our concern whether he was right or wrong. What concerns us is that he exercised independent reasoning, as I mentioned once in this good gathering, if Allah wills. It is never our concern whether the scholar was right or wrong. It concerns us that he exercises independent reasoning, that he does not speak out of ignorance, but rather devotes his effort to hit the truth. But he is not obligated to hit the truth one hundred percent. Rather, if it prevails in his opinion that this is the correct thing, he acts upon it. And here comes the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), which Imam al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So it is not our concern now to sit and talk about whether Uthman’s action and work was right or wrong, because nothing is established for us based on our saying whether he was right or wrong. Because we know beforehand that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), from the day he left the city until he returned, was praying two rak'ahs, two rak'ahs. And indeed he ordered it, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said. But could he have been right in what he did? It is possible he was right in what he did. Why? Because this is a ruling, as the scholars of usul al-fiqh say in the present era, a temporary ruling, not an eternal one. As it is said, the hadith has many threads. This leads us to another issue more important than the first issue, because the first issue, Uthman’s completing the prayer, has no remaining effect, because it was temporary, meaning it was related only to his caliphate. But the other issue has become an eternal law for the majority of people, except for a few of them whom Allah the Exalted protected. What is this issue?