Ali ibn Abi Talib reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would pray four cycles before afternoon prayer, separating them with the invocation of peace upon the favored angels and those who follow them among the Muslims and believers.
Al-Tirmidhi said, “Ibrahim ibn Ishaq preferred not to separate the four before afternoon prayer, citing this tradition. Ishaq said: It means he would separate between them with the invocation of peace, namely, the tashahhud. It was the opinion of Al-Shafi’i and Ahmad that prayers by night and day are two by two, preferring to separate between the four before afternoon prayer.”
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 429
Grade: Hasan (fair) according to Al-Albani
عَنْ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُصَلِّي قَبْلَ الْعَصْرِ أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُنَّ بِالتَّسْلِيمِ عَلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ مِنْ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ
وقال الترمذي وَاخْتَارَ إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ أَنْ لاَ يُفْصَلَ فِي الأَرْبَعِ قَبْلَ الْعَصْرِ وَاحْتَجَّ بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ وَقَالَ إِسْحَاقُ وَمَعْنَى أَنَّهُ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُنَّ بِالتَّسْلِيمِ يَعْنِي التَّشَهُّدَ وَرَأَى الشَّافِعِيُّ وَأَحْمَدُ صَلاَةَ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى يَخْتَارَانِ الْفَصْلَ فِي الأَرْبَعِ قَبْلَ الْعَصْرِ
429 سنن الترمذي كتاب الصلاة باب ما جاء في الأربع قبل العصر
429 المحدث الألباني خلاصة حكم المحدث حسن في صحيح الترمذي