I along with 'Umar b. al-Khattab dissuaded people to do so (to observe two rak'ahs of prayer). Kuraib said: I went to her ('A'isha) and conveyed to her the message with which I was sent. She said: (Better) ask Umm Salama. So I went to them (those who had sent him to Hadrat 'A'isha) and informed them about what she had said. They sent me back to Umm Salama with that with which I was sent to 'A'isha. Umm Salama said: I beard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prohibiting them, and then afterwards I saw him observing them. And when he observed them (two rak'ahs) he had already observed the 'Asr prayer. Then he (the Holy Prophet) came, while there were with me ladies of Banu Haram, a tribe of the Ansar and he (the Holy Prophet) observed them (the two rak'ahs). I sent a slave-girl to him asking her to stand by his side and say to him that Umm Salama says: Messenger of Allah, I heard you prohibiting these two rak'ahs, whereas I saw you observing them; and if he (the Holy Prophet) points with his hand (to wait), then do wait. The slave-girl did like that. He (the Holy Prophet) pointed out with his hand and she got aside and waited, and when he had finished (the prayer) he said: Daughter of Abu Umayya. you have asked about the two rak'ahs after the 'Asr prayer. Some people of 'Abu al-Qais came to me for embracing Islam and hindered me from observing the two rak'ahs which come after the noon prayer. So those are the two I have been praying.

أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَبَّاسٍ وَعَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ أَزْهَرَ وَالْمِسْوَرَ بْنَ مَخْرَمَةَ أَرْسَلُوهُ إِلَى عَائِشَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالُوا اقْرَأْ عَلَيْهَا السَّلاَمَ مِنَّا جَمِيعًا وَسَلْهَا عَنِ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ وَقُلْ إِنَّا أُخْبِرْنَا أَنَّكِ تُصَلِّينَهُمَا وَقَدْ بَلَغَنَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَهَى عَنْهُمَا قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ وَكُنْتُ أَصْرِفُ مَعَ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ النَّاسَ عَنْهَا قَالَ كُرَيْبٌ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَيْهَا وَبَلَّغْتُهَا مَا أَرْسَلُونِي بِهِ فَقَالَتْ سَلْ أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ فَخَرَجْتُ إِلَيْهِمْ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُمْ بِقَوْلِهَا فَرَدُّونِي إِلَى أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ بِمِثْلِ مَا أَرْسَلُونِي بِهِ إِلَى عَائِشَةَ فَقَالَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَنْهَى عَنْهُمَا ثُمَّ رَأَيْتُهُ يُصَلِّيهِمَا أَمَّا حِينَ صَلاَّهُمَا فَإِنَّهُ صَلَّى الْعَصْرَ ثُمَّ دَخَلَ وَعِنْدِي نِسْوَةٌ مِنْ بَنِي حَرَامٍ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ فَصَلاَّهُمَا فَأَرْسَلْتُ إِلَيْهِ الْجَارِيَةَ فَقُلْتُ قُومِي بِجَنْبِهِ فَقُولِي لَهُ تَقُولُ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي أَسْمَعُكَ تَنْهَى عَنْ هَاتَيْنِ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ وَأَرَاكَ تُصَلِّيهِمَا فَإِنْ أَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ فَاسْتَأْخِرِي عَنْهُ قَالَ فَفَعَلَتِ الْجَارِيَةُ فَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ فَاسْتَأْخَرَتْ عَنْهُ فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ قَالَ يَا بِنْتَ أَبِي أُمَيَّةَ سَأَلْتِ عَنِ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ إِنَّهُ أَتَانِي نَاسٌ مِنْ عَبْدِ الْقَيْسِ بِالإِسْلاَمِ مِنْ قَوْمِهِمْ فَشَغَلُونِي عَنِ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ اللَّتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الظُّهْرِ فَهُمَا هَاتَانِ

He asked Aishah about the two prostrations that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray after Asr. She said: He used to pray them before Asr, then he was kept busy from them—or he forgot them—so he prayed them after Asr, then he made them established; and whenever he prayed a prayer, he would make it established.

أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ عَائِشَةَ عَنِ السَّجْدَتَيْنِ اللَّتَيْنِ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّيهِمَا بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ، فَقَالَتْ: كَانَ يُصَلِّيهِمَا قَبْلَ الْعَصْرِ، ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ شُغِلَ عَنْهُمَا أَوْ نَسِيَهُمَا، فَصَلاَّهُمَا بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ، ثُمَّ أَثْبَتَهُمَا، وَكَانَ إِذَا صَلَّى صَلاَةً أَثْبَتَهَا.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not abandon at all observing two rak'ahs after the 'Asr in my house.

مَا تَرَكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ رَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ عِنْدِي قَطُّ

Two are the prayers which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ always observed in my house-openly or secretly-two rak'ahs before the dawn and two rak'ahs after the 'Asr.

صَلاَتَانِ مَا تَرَكَهُمَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي بَيْتِي قَطُّ سِرًّا وَلاَ عَلاَنِيَةً رَكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ الْفَجْرِ وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ

We bear testimony to the fact that 'A'isha said: Never was there a day that he (the Holy Prophet) was with me and he did not observe two rak'ahs of prayer in my house, i. e. two rak'ahs after the Asr.

عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ وَمَسْرُوقٍ قَالاَ نَشْهَدُ عَلَى عَائِشَةَ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ مَا كَانَ يَوْمُهُ الَّذِي كَانَ يَكُونُ عِنْدِي إِلاَّ صَلاَّهُمَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي بَيْتِي تَعْنِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ