Explanation of the Book of the Adhan-07b
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The reciter: Sulayman ibn Harb narrated to us, saying: Shu'bah narrated to us from al-Hakam, saying: I heard Sa'id ibn Jubayr from Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: I spent the night at the house of my aunt Maymunah. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed the 'Isha' prayer, then he came and prayed four rak'ahs, then he slept. Then he got up, and I came and stood to his left, so he placed me to his right. He prayed five rak'ahs, then he prayed two rak'ahs, then he slept until I heard his snoring, or he said his snorting, then he went out to the prayer.
The Shaykh : The translation says: He stands to the right of the imam, opposite him, if there are two. This is the recommended practice (sunnah). If there is an imam and a ma'mum, the imam is to the left of the ma'mum, and the ma'mum is to the right of the imam, and he is opposite him, meaning the imam does not stand ahead of the ma'mum. This is contrary to the juristic preference (istihsan) of some scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) that the imam should stand slightly ahead. This juristic preference is against the explicit text, so it is rejected and is not good. This is because the imam and the single ma'mum form a row, and the prescribed manner in a row is to align them evenly. Then he mentioned the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), which has various wordings. It is known that the wordings of the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) are that he prayed two rak'ahs, then two rak'ahs, then two rak'ahs, then two rak'ahs, then two rak'ahs, then he concluded the prayer (witr), meaning he concluded with eleven rak'ahs. This is the well-known version. The other narrations are anomalous (shadhdh), unless it is established that the story occurred multiple times, and that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sometimes did this and sometimes did that, with 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas with him. However, the apparent Sunnah is that Ibn 'Abbas did not do that with him except once. Based on this, what was the practice of the majority is adopted, and the hadith is interpreted according to what was the majority practice, which is saying the taslim after every two rak'ahs until he completed eleven. The rest is considered anomalous. But where does the anomaly come from? Is it from Ibn 'Abbas, that he sometimes said this and sometimes said that, or from those below him? From those below him, certainly, because between al-Bukhari and Ibn 'Abbas there are several generations. Yes.
The Shaykh : The translation says: He stands to the right of the imam, opposite him, if there are two. This is the recommended practice (sunnah). If there is an imam and a ma'mum, the imam is to the left of the ma'mum, and the ma'mum is to the right of the imam, and he is opposite him, meaning the imam does not stand ahead of the ma'mum. This is contrary to the juristic preference (istihsan) of some scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) that the imam should stand slightly ahead. This juristic preference is against the explicit text, so it is rejected and is not good. This is because the imam and the single ma'mum form a row, and the prescribed manner in a row is to align them evenly. Then he mentioned the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), which has various wordings. It is known that the wordings of the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) are that he prayed two rak'ahs, then two rak'ahs, then two rak'ahs, then two rak'ahs, then two rak'ahs, then he concluded the prayer (witr), meaning he concluded with eleven rak'ahs. This is the well-known version. The other narrations are anomalous (shadhdh), unless it is established that the story occurred multiple times, and that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sometimes did this and sometimes did that, with 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas with him. However, the apparent Sunnah is that Ibn 'Abbas did not do that with him except once. Based on this, what was the practice of the majority is adopted, and the hadith is interpreted according to what was the majority practice, which is saying the taslim after every two rak'ahs until he completed eleven. The rest is considered anomalous. But where does the anomaly come from? Is it from Ibn 'Abbas, that he sometimes said this and sometimes said that, or from those below him? From those below him, certainly, because between al-Bukhari and Ibn 'Abbas there are several generations. Yes.