on that, which indicates the permissibility of praying after ʿaṣr without a break. There is evidence supporting this permissibility from the actions of the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) in the ḥadīth of ʿĀʾishah (raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhā): that the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) would not abandon the two rakʿahs after ʿaṣr. This was narrated by al-Shaykhān and others, and it is documented in "al-Irwāʾ" (2/188-189) through various chains from her, and another chain follows this. It has been established that this practice was followed by a group of the Salaf (raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhum) as will be mentioned. If it is said: How can this approval from ʿUmar be used as evidence, when it is authentically reported that he would strike those who prayed the two rakʿahs after ʿaṣr? The answer is: his striking them was only to block the means, fearing that people might gradually extend the time and pray them during the prohibited yellowing time. This is what is meant by the ḥadīths that generally prohibit prayer after ʿaṣr, as will be clarified in the following ḥadīth. It was not because praying them before the yellowing time is impermissible. Therefore, he did not object to the man praying immediately after ʿaṣr. There is a report from ʿUmar himself that confirms this. Al-Ḥāfiẓ said in "al-Fatḥ" (2/65): "(Note): ʿAbd al-Razzāq narrated [2/431-432] from the ḥadīth of Zayd ibn Khālid [al-Juhanī] the reason ʿUmar struck people for that, saying... from Zayd ibn Khālid: that ʿUmar saw him while he was caliph performing rakʿahs after ʿaṣr and struck him. The ḥadīth mentions: 'ʿUmar said: O Zayd! If I did not fear that people would take them as a means to pray until night, I would not have struck for them.'" Perhaps ʿUmar considered that the prohibition of prayer was only out of fear of performing the prayer at..