Haritha b. Wahb al-Khuza‘i said, “God’s Messenger led us in a prayer of two rak'as in Mina when we were more numerous and more secure than we had ever been before.”
I remarked to ‘Umar b. al-Khattab that God had said, “You may shorten the prayer,” only “if you fear those who are infidels may afflict you” (Al-Qur’an; 4:101), whereas the people were now safe. He replied that he had wondered about the same matter, so he asked God's Messenger and received the reply, “It is an act of charity which God has done to you, so accept His charity.”
Abu Umama reported God’s Messenger as saying, “God does not listen to a servant of His engaged in anything more excellent than the two rak'as which he prays. Kindness is spread over the head of a servant as long as he is engaged in prayer; and men do not draw near to God with anything to be compared with what came forth from Him,” meaning the Qur’an.
