8. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad and Ahmad ibn Muhammad from all from Ali ibn Mahziyar from who has said the following:

“I once wrote to abu Ja‘far , that Ahadith from your ancestors about performing Salat (prayer) in the two al-Haram (the Sacred places) in complete form exist in disagreement. Certain ones say that it is in complete form even if it is just one Salat (prayer) and others say that it is in reduced form unless you decide to stay there for ten days. I however continue to perform in complete form until this year during our al-Hajj, when our scholars of fiqh advised me to perform in reduced form because I did not intend to stay for ten days; so I turned to reduced form and I remain stressed until I receive your instruction. He (the Imam) wrote to me with his own hand writing, ‘You have come to know, may Allah grant you blessings, of the virtue of the performing Salat (prayer) in the two al-Haram (the Sacred places), over the other places; thus I like for you that when you enter them not to perform your Salat (prayer) in reduced form. You should perform a great deal of Salat (prayer) therein.’ I then after two years spoke to him about it face to face saying, ‘I wrote to you about such and such issues and you answered as such and such.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, so it was.’ I then asked, ‘What do you mean by the two al-Haram (the Sacred places)?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is Makkah and al-Madinah.’” NOTE: Fatwa best explains Hadith 2-8 of this Chapter)