«كُنَّا نَفْعَلُ» and «كُنَّا نَقُولُ»
“We used to do this”; “We used to say this.”
When such statements are explicitly tied to “the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ”, they carry a different implication from an unqualified report with no time reference. Express mention of the Prophetic period can support inference from tacit approval, whereas an unqualified practice may reflect the Companions’ own custom or judgment.
The form originally reports a group’s action or speech, not a verbatim statement by the Prophet. Its technical force depends on when the practice occurred, whether Prophetic awareness is inferred, and any qualifying evidence.