Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 1101
sahih

Narrated Hafs bin `Asim:

Ibn `Umar went on a journey and said, "I accompanied the Prophet (ﷺ) and he did not offer optional prayers during the journey, and Allah says: 'Verily! In Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) you have a good example to follow.' " (33:21)

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عُمَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، أَنَّ حَفْصَ بْنَ عَاصِمٍ، حَدَّثَهُ قَالَ سَافَرَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ فَقَالَ صَحِبْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَمْ أَرَهُ يُسَبِّحُ فِي السَّفَرِ، وَقَالَ اللَّهُ جَلَّ ذِكْرُهُ ‏{‏لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ‏}‏‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 18, Hadith 21
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 2, Book 20, Hadith 205 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
The ease and removal of difficulty are some of the characteristics of Islam. The greater the hardship [appears], the greater the alleviation is [in actuality], and the burden is removed. Therefore, Allah, The Mighty and Majestic prescribed the dispensation of shortening the prayers which contain four units while traveling; and the Prophet ﷺ left out the sunnah prayers that are tied and performed either before or after the five obligatory ones while traveling - thus confirming the alleviation [discussed above]. In this hadeeth, the taabiʿee :Hafs ibn ʿAsim ibn ʿUmar ibn al-al-Khaṭṭaab reports that ʿAbdullah ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them) had travelled with his companions, and said: ‘I travelled with the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions during their journey, and I did not see him perform the sunnah prayers that are tied and performed either before or after the five obligatory ones - while traveling.’ Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them) said this – as documented in Saheeh Muslim - when he saw some of his companions performing supererogatory prayers after Dhuhr while traveling. Then, ʿAbdullah ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them) said: ‘Allah, The Mighty and Majestic says: {Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah, you have an excellent example.}- and he recited [the word in the aforementioned ayah]: iswah (example) in Arabic is pronounced with a kasrah[at the beginning of the word], and this is the qiraa’ah [i.e. mode of recitation] of the ten [verified] reciters, except for ʿAsim; he recited it with a dammah : [as] uswah. The meaning here an instruction to follow the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, for it is the perfect example in everything, thus, follow his way and act in accordance with his traditions. The Prophet ﷺdid not offer the sunnah prayers that are tied and performed either before or after the five obligatory prayersfor all of the prayers while traveling, except the two-unit prayerof Fajr. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not leave them on his travels, and even made them up when he had slept until the sun rose upon him and his Companions during one of his travels; as per the report mentioned in Saheeh Muslim, from a hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him). As for the Witr prayer, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would perform the Witr prayer atop [his] camel while traveling – as mentioned in Saheehal-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, from a hadeeth narrated byʿAbdullah ibn ʿUmar (may Allah have pleased with them). This hadeeth shows the keen eagerness of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to emulate and follow the example of the Prophet ﷺ. .