this is unrestricted, restricted by the ḥadīth of ʿAlī (raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu), and to this Ibn Ḥazm (raḥimahu Allāh) referred with his previous statement: "This is an additional fair report that cannot be disregarded." Then al-Bayhaqī said: "It has been narrated from ʿAlī (raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu) that which contradicts this. And it has been narrated that which agrees with it." Then he and al-Ḍiyāʾ in "al-Mukhtārah" (1/185) narrated through the route of Sufyān who said: Abū Isḥāq informed me from ʿĀṣim ibn Ḍamrah from ʿAlī (raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu) who said: "The Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) used to pray two rakʿahs after every obligatory prayer, except for Fajr and ʿAṣr." I say: This does not contradict the first ḥadīth at all, because it only negates that the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) prayed two rakʿahs after the ʿAṣr prayer, and the first ḥadīth does not establish that to be opposed by this. The most it indicates is the permissibility of praying after ʿAṣr until before the sun turns yellow, and it is not necessary for the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) to do everything that is established as permissible by legal evidence, as is apparent. Yes, it has been established from Umm Salamah and ʿĀʾishah (raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhā) that the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) prayed the two rakʿahs of the Sunnah of Ẓuhr after ʿAṣr, and ʿĀʾishah said: He (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) continued to do so thereafter. This contradicts the second ḥadīth of ʿAlī, and reconciling them is easy, as each reported what they knew, and knowledge is a proof against those who do not know. It appears that ʿAlī (raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu) later learned from some Companions what he denied in this ḥadīth, as it has been established from him that he prayed after ʿAṣr, and that is the statement of al-Bayhaqī: "As for what agrees with it, it is in what we were informed..." Then he narrated through the route of Shuʿbah from Abū Isḥāq from ʿĀṣim ibn Ḍamrah who said: "We were with ʿAlī (raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu) on a journey, and he prayed ʿAṣr with us as two rakʿahs, then he entered..
فهذا مطلق، يقيده حديث علي ﵁، وإلى هذا أشار ابن حزم ﵀ بقوله المتقدم: " وهذه زيادة عدل لا يجوز تركها ". ثم قال البيهقي: " وقد روي عن علي ﵁ ما يخالف هذا. وروي ما يوافقه ". ثم ساق هو والضياء في " المختارة " (١ / ١٨٥) من طريق سفيان قال: أخبرني أبو إسحاق عن عاصم بن ضمرة عن علي ﵁ قال: " كان رسول الله ﷺ يصلي ركعتين في دبر كل صلاة مكتوبة، إلا الفجر والعصر ". قلت: وهذا لا يخالف الحديث الأول إطلاقا، لأنه إنما ينفي أن يكون النبي ﷺ صلى ركعتين بعد صلاة العصر، والحديث الأول لا يثبت ذلك حتى يعارض بهذا، وغاية ما فيه أنه يدل على جواز الصلاة بعد العصر إلى ما قبل اصفرار الشمس، وليس يلزم أن يفعل النبي ﷺ كل ما أثبت جوازه بالدليل الشرعي كما هو ظاهر. نعم قد ثبت عن أم سلمة وعائشة ﵄ أن النبي ﷺ صلى ركعتين سنة الظهر البعدية بعد صلاة العصر، وقالت عائشة: إنه صلى الله عليه وسلم داوم عليها بعد ذلك، فهذا يعارض حديث علي الثاني، والجمع بينهما سهل، فكل حدث بما علم، ومن علم حجة على من لم يعلم، ويظهر أن عليا ﵁ علم فيما بعد من بعض الصحابة ما نفاه في هذا الحديث، فقد ثبت عنه صلاته صلى الله عليه وسلم بعد العصر وذلك قول البيهقي: " وأما الذي يوافقه ففيما أخبرنا ... " ثم ساق من طريق شعبة عن أبي إسحاق عن عاصم بن ضمرة قال: " كنا مع علي ﵁ في سفر فصلى بنا العصر ركعتين ثم دخل