Sahih Muslim Book - 6, Hadith - 1933

حَدَّثَنِى حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى التُّجِيبِىُّ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ أَخْبَرَنِى عَمْرٌو - وَهُوَ ابْنُ الْحَارِثِ - عَنْ بُكَيْرٍ عَنْ كُرَيْبٍ مَوْلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَبَّاسٍ وَعَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ أَزْهَرَ وَالْمِسْوَرَ بْنَ مَخْرَمَةَ أَرْسَلُوهُ إِلَى عَائِشَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِىِّ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- فَقَالُوا اقْرَأْ عَلَيْهَا السَّلاَمَ مِنَّا جَمِيعًا وَسَلْهَا عَنِ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ وَقُلْ إِنَّا أُخْبِرْنَا أَنَّكِ تُصَلِّينَهُمَا وَقَدْ بَلَغَنَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- نَهَى عَنْهُمَا. قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ وَكُنْتُ أَصْرِفُ مَعَ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ النَّاسَ عَنْهَا. قَالَ كُرَيْبٌ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَيْهَا وَبَلَّغْتُهَا مَا أَرْسَلُونِى بِهِ. فَقَالَتْ سَلْ أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ. فَخَرَجْتُ إِلَيْهِمْ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُمْ بِقَوْلِهَا فَرَدُّونِى إِلَى أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ بِمِثْلِ مَا أَرْسَلُونِى بِهِ إِلَى عَائِشَةَ. فَقَالَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- يَنْهَى عَنْهُمَا ثُمَّ رَأَيْتُهُ يُصَلِّيهِمَا أَمَّا حِينَ صَلاَّهُمَا فَإِنَّهُ صَلَّى الْعَصْرَ ثُمَّ دَخَلَ وَعِنْدِى نِسْوَةٌ مِنْ بَنِى حَرَامٍ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ فَصَلاَّهُمَا فَأَرْسَلْتُ إِلَيْهِ الْجَارِيَةَ فَقُلْتُ قُومِى بِجَنْبِهِ فَقُولِى لَهُ تَقُولُ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّى أَسْمَعُكَ تَنْهَى عَنْ هَاتَيْنِ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ وَأَرَاكَ تُصَلِّيهِمَا فَإِنْ أَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ فَاسْتَأْخِرِى عَنْهُ - قَالَ - فَفَعَلَتِ الْجَارِيَةُ فَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ فَاسْتَأْخَرَتْ عَنْهُ فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ قَالَ « يَا بِنْتَ أَبِى أُمَيَّةَ سَأَلْتِ عَنِ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ إِنَّهُ أَتَانِى نَاسٌ مِنْ عَبْدِ الْقَيْسِ بِالإِسْلاَمِ مِنْ قَوْمِهِمْ فَشَغَلُونِى عَنِ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ اللَّتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الظُّهْرِ فَهُمَا هَاتَانِ ».

It was narrated from Kuraib, the freed slave of Ibn 'Abbas, that 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas, 'Abdur-Rahman bin Azhar and Al-Miswar bin Makhramah sent him to 'Aishah, the wife of the Prophet (s.a.w), saying: "Convey greetings of Salam to her from all of us, and ask her about the two Rak'ah after 'Asr, and say: 'We have been informed that you pray them, but we heard that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) forbade that."' Ibn 'Abbas said: "I, along with 'Umar bin Al-Khattab, used to tell the people not to do that." Kuraib said: "So I entered upon her and conveyed to her the message they had sent with me. She said: 'Ask Umm Salamah.' So I went out to them and told them what she had said. They sent me to Umm Salamah with a message like that with which they had sent me to 'Aishah. Umm Salamah said: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) forbidding them (the two Rak'ah after 'Asr), then I saw him praying them. But when he prayed them, he had already prayed 'Asr, then he entered upon me and there were some women from Banu Haram, who were among the Ansar, with me. He prayed them, and I sent the slave girl to him. I said: 'Stand beside him, and say to him: "Umm Salamah says to you: 'O Messenger of Allah, I heard you forbidding these two Rak'ah, but now I see you praying them." If he gestures to you with his hand, then leave him.' The slave girl did that, and he gestured to her with his hand, so she left him. When he had finished praying, he said: 'O daughter of Abu Umayyah, you asked about the two Rak'ah after 'Asr. Some people from Banu 'Abdul-Qais came to me to embrace Islam, and they distracted me from praying the two Rak'ah that come after Zuhr; these are them."'