Truth About the Split — Page 161
161 from the practice of the Companions of the Holy Prophet sa of Islam it is evident that they considered it obligatory in such matters to carry out the commands of the Khalifa of the day, even when they did not agree with him regarding their propriety. Accordingly, we find in Bukhari and in other books of tradition and history that once, when Hadrat Usman ra was the Khalifa, he departed from the practice of the Holy Prophet sa , and during a certain Hajj—while in a state of journey—performed four Rak‘at of Namaz at Safa, instead of two. This caused considerable excitement among some of the Holy Companions, but nevertheless they all followed him in performing the full four Rak‘at , Hadrat Abdur Rahman bin ‘Auf ra resolved that in his own congregation he would perform only two Rak‘at of Namaz. But he chanced to meet Abdullah bin Mas‘ud ra who inquired of him whether the Khalifa had issued any new command. Abdur Rahman ra said, 'No,' and added that, as for himself, he had performed only two Rak‘at of Namaz , Abdullah bin Mas‘ud ra said that it was true that all evidence went to prove that the Holy Prophet sa had performed only two Rak‘at of Namaz , but then when he (Abdullah bin Mas‘ud ra ) had heard that the Khalifa of the day had performed four Rak‘at , he too had performed the same number of Rak‘at. (At the time of