Shama-il Tirmidhi Chapter 40, Hadith Number 4 (275).
Commentary
It was the noble habit of Sayyidina Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam that whenever he returned to Madinah Munawwarah, he entered the city in the morning. He first entered the masjid and performed nafl prayers. This reply of Sayyiditina ‘Aayeshah Radiyallahu ‘Anha is the opposite of what was given in reply to a question of Sayyiditina Mu’aadhah Radiyallahu ‘Anha mentioned at the beginning of this chapter. The ‘ulama-have therefore given different explanations to this. Imaam Bayhaqi has given this explanation, that in the hadith where it has been denied, the denial is of it not being performed regularly, which is not refuting that it was performed occasionally. Meaning he did not perform it regularly. In the hadith where the affirmative is mentioned, i.e. that he performed this salaah, it will be taken to be performed more often. Some of the ‘ulama have summed it up thus, that he only performed this salaah in the masjid when he returned from a journey, otherwise at ordinary times he performed it in the home. In this hadith (under discussion) the object is the denial that this salaah was performed in the masjid. It was only performed in the masjid when he returned from a journey, as mentioned in the above hadith.