Prolonging the last sujood is an action that is not prescribed in Islam

 

A man following the Imam is fond of prolonging his last Sujood that at times the tasleem will be said before he rises from the sujood. His argument is that the prophet said that in the lsat sujood we should perfect prayers.What is the ruling regarding his salaat?

Praise be to Allaah. 

It is not permissible for
the person who is praying behind the imaam to precede the imaam. It
is haraam for him to move before the imaam, or to lag behind him so
much that he misses the obligatory part of the prayer that comes next.
The Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said, “The imaam has been appointed to be followed.
So when he says ‘Allaahu akbar,’ then say ‘Allaahu akbar,’ and when
he bows in rukoo’, then bow in rukoo’.” The conjunction fa’ (translated
here as ‘then’) implies following immediately, as is well known [in
Arabic grammar]. 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Kareem
al-Khudayr 

The idea of perfecting
the prayer does not contradict the idea of following the imaam, so long
as the imaam is unhurried in his prayer. There is no evidence for singling
out the last sujood and prolonging this sujood but not the others, and
it is not permitted to introduce innovations into the religion. And
Allaah knows best.

 

Does there have to be one imaam and does he have to be the khateeb?

 

I have lived in United States about 7 years and all of those years been in Las Vegas,NV. Every Friday Khutba that I go to we have a different Imam, What my question is With a community of 6000 and growing is it okay to have different Imams every week or should our Masjid Hire a permenant Imam? This way if anyone has any questions they dont have to go very far to get a answer, and especially if the Masjid can efford a permenant Imam. May Allah reward you for your Service.

Praise be to Allaah.

1- If the mosque can be taken care of by one imaam, and is not one of the large mosques that need the cooperation of more than one imaam, or there is a person who can work full-time as an imaam and you have the financial resources to meet his needs (i.e., pay him a salary), or there is someone who can do this voluntarily, then appointing one imaam and khateeb for the mosque will bring a number of benefits, such as:



(i) A regular khateeb will be more able to get to know the problems faced by the people, and thus will be able to play a part in solving them. He will be a point of reference and a leader for the people of the mosque. If the people know that he will be coming back again, this will encourage them to discuss issues and problems with him. 

(ii) People will be able to listen to useful things that need to be spoken about in a series of khutbahs, e.g., the tafseer of Soorat al-Faatihah, or the Signs of the Hour, or the battles (of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)), or teaching the salaah (prayer). Such series can usually only be done by one imaam, which is not the case when the khateeb is different each week. 

(iii) The people will be able to listen to something new each week, because a regular khateeb will not repeat the same topics too soon, lest he bore the people. He will come up with something new each week, unlike what happens with different imaams who tell the people similar things time and time again, which wastes time that otherwise could be put to good use.

(iv) If the khateeb is also the imaam, this is better, because he will know all the matters and problems concerning the people of the mosque. Things may happen during the week to the people of the neighbourhood or those who attend the mosque, which requires the comments of the imaam, or he may refer to them in the Jumu'ah khutbah.

(v) This is also in accordance with the teaching of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the khaleefahs who succeeded him, where the imaam and regular khateeb were one and the same.



2. You must be very careful to make sure that the imaam is one of the Ahl al-Sunnah and that he follows their 'aqeedah. This is what will benefit you in your religion; anyone else who is a follower of bid'ah will only cause you harm and lead you astray.



3. In addition to his having a sound 'aqeedah, he must also be knowledgeable, so that you will hear something useful in his lessons and khutbahs.



4. There is no reason why you should not form a committee, including some knowledgeable brothers, to choose an imaam and khateeb, because people's emotions may prevent them from distinguishing between what is beneficial and what is harmful (i.e., they may not make the right choice of imaam). 



5. It is not essential for the person to be able to be both imaam and khateeb. Many famous qaari's (readers of Qur'aan) know nothing about the rulings of sharee'ah, and many eloquent khateebs are unsure of the rulings on sujood al-sahw (prostration of forgetfulness), and many knowledgeable people cannot give khutbahs and address the people.



If it is necessary to have an imaam who is different from the khateeb, there is nothing wrong with that. If the circumstances of the community do not permit one person to be a full-time imaam and khateeb because of study and work commitments, then it is OK to appoint a group of people who are qualified to act as imaams and khateebs, and to draw up a roster so that the mosque will be able to fulfil its responsibilities and not falter in its work. We ask Allaah to help us and you to do that which is good. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

 

It is not permissible to pray behind an imaam who is a charlatan and liar

 

Is it permissible to pray behind an imaam who is a charlatan and liar, knowing that some of these people can recite Qur’aan very well? Please advise us, may Allaah reward you with good.

Praise be to Allaah. 

If the imaam is a charlatan who claims to have knowledge of the unseen
or who does false and evil actions, then it is not permissible to take
him as an imaam or to pray behind him, because whoever claims to have
knowledge of the unseen is a kaafir – we ask Allaah to keep us safe
and sound. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  

“Say: “None in the heavens and
the earth knows the Ghayb (Unseen) except Allaah” [al-Naml
27:65]  

The same applies to one who practices sihr (witchcraft or magic) –
he comes under the same rulings as the kaafir, because Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):  

“They followed
what the Shayaateen (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the
lifetime of Sulaymaan (Solomon). Sulaymaan did not disbelieve, but the
Shayaateen (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things
that came down at Babylon to the two angels, Haaroot and Maaroot, but
neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they
had said, ‘We are for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic
from us)’…”

[al-Baqarah 2:102]  

But if he is a person who commits some sins, but he does not do any
actions of kufr such as practising witchcraft and claiming to have knowledge
of the unseen, then prayers offered behind him are valid, but it is
better to find someone else who is of sound character and is righteous,
to be on the safe side and to avoid differing with those scholars who
say that it is not permissible to pray behind (such a person). 

Sinners should not be taken as imaams, but if they are already in
that position, prayers offered behind them are valid, because it may
be that the people are being tested by means of them, or necessity may
force us to pray behind them. But in the case of one who calls upon
anyone other than Allaah, or who seeks the help of the dead, we should
not pray behind him, because this action makes him one of the kuffaar,
for this is the action of the mushrikeen whom the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) fought against in Makkah
and elsewhere. We ask Allaah to reform the Muslims and to grant them
understanding of His religion, and to cause the best of them to become
their leaders, for He is the All-Hearing, Ever ready to respond.  

Faasiq (evildoer) leading the prayer

 

Sometimes, my brother (blood related)leads me in prayer, when we get together. He is elder than me by 18 years difference. However, he misses a few prayers, due to work, and listen to music. Is it allowable for me to pray behind him. Or do I have the right to request that I should lead, if we want to pray together?

Praise be to
Allaah.

In
the case of the obligatory prayer, it is obligatory for you to offer
it in the mosque in congregation, if the mosque is nearby. So you should
respond to the muezzin when he says “Come to prayer,” and head for the
house of Allaah. With regard to praying behind an evildoer, the most
correct view is that it is valid to pray behind him even though he appears
to be an evildoer. The evidence for that is as follows: 

1
– The general applicability of the hadeeth of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “The people should be led
in prayer by the one who is most versed in the Book of Allaah…” (Saheeh
Muslim, al-Masaajid wa Mawaa’id al-Salaah, 673)

2 – The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them)
used to pray behind al-Hajjaaj, and al-Hajjaaj was known to be an evildoer.

3
– From a logical point of view, everyone whose prayer is valid is acceptable
as a imaam to lead the prayers. There is no evidence to suggest differentiating
between the validity of a person’s prayer and the validity of a person’s
leading the prayer.

al-Sharh
al-Mumti’
by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 4/307 

There
is another view: some of the fuqahaa’ say that prayer offered behind
an evildoer is not valid, but those who say this do not have any sound
evidence to support this view. 

No
doubt it is better for you to lead the prayer instead of your brother,
especially if you meet the conditions for being better qualified to
lead the prayer as specified in the hadeeth: “The people should be led
in prayer by the one who is most versed in the Book of Allaah. If they
are equally versed in the Qur’aan, then by the one who has most knowledge
of the Sunnah. If they are equal in knowledge of the Sunnah, then by
the one who migrated first …” (Narrated by Muslim). The same applies
if you are righteous, for the prayer of the righteous is more perfect,
more focused and more in accordance with the Sunnah. 

The
Standing Committee was asked about a man who was haafiz (i.e.,
he had memorized the entire Qur’aan) but he did not have a beard, and
another who had memorized less Qur’aan but he had a beard. They replied
that the one who had a beard, even though he had memorized less Qur’aan,
should be given priority over the one who shaved his beard, even though
he had memorized the whole Qur’aan.

See
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 7/375, and similar fatwas.

 And
Allaah knows best.

 

How should they deal with an imam who disobeys Allaah in the mosque? What is the ruling on their praying behind him?

 

After many complaints, we have known that our Imam is causing mischief in the masjid. He listens to music and flirts women in the street, he also closes the door of women’s prayer room while he is inside it! The brother who calls the Adhaan asked him if what is being said about him is correct. The imam answered proudly saying: “she is my lover, and whoever does not like the way I am, he does not have to pray behind me. Some brothers went to his father and complained about him; his father answered: “he does not listen to me, and I cannot do anything about this” he also added: “I ask Allah to grant us a righteous imam to our masjid”.


Please advise us.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly: 

If what the muezzin said about this immoral
imam is true, then he is in great danger and there is the fear that he may
fall into apostasy or meet a bad end. That is because:   

1.

He is taking the house of Allaah as a place
for his immoral actions and evil deeds, but Allaah has enjoined that His
houses should be venerated and kept pure, and Allaah has established them
for prayer, du’aa’ and i’tikaaf. If they are taken as places for immoral
actions with women, then this is extremely reprehensible; the hypocrites did
not even do that in their mosque, “masjid al-diraar! 

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“In houses (mosques) which Allaah has
ordered to be raised (to be cleaned, and to be honoured), in them His Name
is remembered [i.e. Adhaan, Iqaamah, Salaah(prayers), invocations,
recitation of the Qur’aan]. Therein glorify Him (Allaah) in the mornings and
in the afternoons or the evenings”

[al-Noor 24:36] 

The “houses” referred to in this verse are
the mosques. 

Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said:  

Allaah has enjoined that they be raised
i.e., cleansed of filth, idle talk and actions, and words that are not
befitting therein. Qataadah said: This refers to the mosques which Allaah
has commanded should be built, raised, maintained and purified. There are
many ahaadeeth about building mosques, venerating them, respecting them,
perfuming them and scenting them with incense. End quote. 

Tafseer Ibn Katheer
(6/62). 

2.

The other matter is his boasting of sin and
flaunting it. Committing sin in secret whilst fearing Allaah is not like
doing it openly, flaunting it and boasting about it. 

See the answer to question no.
9562, which
includes the warning addressed to the one who commits sin openly and flaunts
it. 

Secondly: 

What you have to do is advise him, and
restrain him, and take him to some scholars and elders who can offer him
advice and explain to him the seriousness of his actions, because he is an
example for others and it is not appropriate for him to do these things. The
people are influenced by the imam of their mosque and they look as his
actions as the application of what he reads in the Qur’aan; but this advice
should be given with kindness and wisdom. 

It was narrated from Tameem al-Daari (may
Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “Religion is sincerity.” We said: To whom? He
said: “To Allaah, to His Book, to His Messenger, and to the leaders of the
Muslims and their common folk.” Narrated by Muslim (55). 

If he responds to this advice and stops the
evil deeds that he is doing and stops listening to evil things, then he will
have done well, and you will have reward for that. But if he rejects your
advice and persists in his evil and deviation, then you must take the next
steps: 

1.

Address a complaint to the relevant
authorities, which should be signed by all the worshippers in the mosque. It
is hoped that the authorities will take the appropriate action of warning
him or dismissing him from his post. 

2.

Prevent him from leading the prayers, if you
are able to do that without it resulting in more trouble or arguments among
the worshippers.  The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) prevented a man from leading his people in prayer because he led a
congregation in prayer and spat in the direction of the qiblah. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to him: “You have
offended Allaah and His Messenger.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (481) and classed
as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood. 

The evils that your imam has committed are
worse than spitting in the direction of the qiblah whilst praying. 

3.

If you are not able to do that, then you
should refrain from praying behind him in order to denounce him. If there is
no other mosque where you can pray, then there is no sin in your praying
behind him, and his sin is on himself. Praying behind an evildoer or immoral
person is permissible and valid, and it is better than a person praying on
his own. It is not permissible to forgo praying Jumu’ah prayer and prayers
in congregation on the basis that the imam is an evildoer or immoral
person. 

Shaykh al-Islam (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said: 

With regard to praying behind those who
follow whims and desires and innovations, and behind immoral people, there
is a well known difference of scholarly opinion. But the moderate opinion
concerning these people is that appointing one of these people to lead the
prayer is not permissible when it is possible to appoint someone else. If he
is one who commits immoral actions or innovations openly, then it is
obligatory to denounce him and tell him not to do that, and the minimum
level of denouncing is shunning him, so that he will give up his immoral
actions or bid’ah. Hence the majority of imams differentiated between the
daa’iyah and others: if a daa’iyah commits evil openly then he deserves to
be denounced for it, unlike the one who keeps quiet, who is like one who
commits sin secretly, so he should not be denounced openly, because if the
sin is done secretly it does not affect anyone but the one who does it; but
if he commits sin openly and is not denounced, then this harms everyone. End
quote. 

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa
(23/342). 

And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

The imams are unanimously agreed that it is
makrooh to pray behind a faasiq, but they differed as to whether the prayer
is valid. It was said that it was not valid, as was the view of Maalik and
Ahmad in one of the two reports narrated from them. And it was said that it
is valid, as was the view of Abu Haneefah and al-Shaafa’i, and mentioned in
the other view from Maalik and Ahmad, but they did not dispute the fact that
such a one should not be appointed. End quote.  

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa
(23/358). 

See also the answer to question no.
47884. 

Thirdly: 

This imam should realize that his sin is not
like the sin of others, because he has knowledge of the shar’i rulings, and
he is leading the people in prayer which is the role of the Prophets,
caliphs and scholars. There is a stern warning to imams, that the imam’s
prayer will not be accepted if the people praying behind him hate him
because of his evildoing or innovation (bid’ah). 

It was narrated that Abu Umaamah (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are three whose prayer goes no further
than their ears: the runaway slave, until he returns; a woman whose husband
remains angry with her overnight; and the imam who leads people in prayer
when they dislike him to lead them.” 

Narrated and classed as hasan by al-Tirmidhi
(360); also classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi. 

Al-Shawkaani (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said: 

The apparent meaning of the ahaadeeth which
warn the one who leads people in prayer when they dislike him leading them,
is that his prayer will not be accepted. End quote. 

Al-Sayl al-Jiraar
(1/255). 

This imam should beware of the consequences
of his deeds and sins. We ask Allaah to guide him. 

And Allaah knows best.

 

If the imam did not intend to lead the prayer, then people come and he leads them

 

Some people joining a person who is known to be praying fardh salat if they have the intention of making a jamaah. does it matter that the 'imam' had no intention to be in a congregation?.

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

It is permissible for a person who is praying alone to intend
to lead the prayer, and act as imaam for those who join him in the prayer.
The evidence for that is the hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari (667) and
Muslim (763) from Ibn ‘Abbaas who said: “I stayed one night with my maternal
aunt Maymoonah bint al-Haarith, and I said to her, ‘When the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gets up, wake me up
so that I can pray qiyaam al-layl.’ The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) got up, and I got up and stood beside him
on his left. He took my hand and made me stand on his right, and whenever I
closed my eyes he tweaked my ear, then he prayed eleven rak’ahs, then he
slept until I could hear the sound of his breathing. When Fajr came he
prayed two short rak’ahs. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 667; Muslim, 763). 

The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) started praying alone, then when Ibn ‘Abbaas joined him in prayer, he
led him in the prayer. 

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked this
question: 

If I enter the mosque after the congregation (jamaa’ah) has
finished praying, and I say the iqaamah for the prayer and say “Allaahu
akbar” to start the prayer, then a man comes in after me and joins me in my
prayer, and I did not intend that, is his prayer valid or not? 

He answered: 

The correct view is that it is prescribed for you to form the
intention of leading the prayer when one or more persons join you in prayer,
because praying in congregation is something that is required and there is a
great deal of virtue in that. Some of the scholars are of the view that this
is valid in naafil prayers, but the correct view is that it is valid in both
naafil (supererogatory) and fard (obligatory) prayers, because the basic
principle is that the rulings on both are the same, except in cases where
there is specific evidence. It was proven that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to pray on his own at night in the
house of Maymoonah, the maternal aunt of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased
with them all). Ibn ‘Abbaas got up, did wudoo’ and stood to the left of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made him move to his right.
(Agreed upon) and led him in prayer. 

Muslim narrated in his Saheeh that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was praying alone, and Jaabir
and Jabbaar came to him and stood to his right and his left. He made them
stand behind him and led them in prayer. These two hadeeth indicate what we
have mentioned. They also indicate that if there is only one other person,
he should stand to the right of the imam, and if there are two or more they
should stand behind him.

 Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah li’l-Shaykh Ibn
Baaz, 12/151.

 

Imaam with a beautiful voice that motivates the worshippers

 

We are in charge of a large number of students in their residences, and we have devised a special program for them to raise their Islamic awareness. This includes inviting one of the imams of the mosques in the city who is known for his beautiful voice, to lead them in Fajr prayer, hoping that this will motivate them with the Qur’aan. Please note that the regular imam of the mosque has agreed to this. What is the shar’i ruling on this?

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

What I think is that there is nothing wrong with that,
because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
listened to the recitation of Abu Moosa al-Ash’ari (may Allaah be pleased
with him) and liked it, and said to him, “You have been given a beautiful
voice like that of Dawood.” He [Abu Moosa] asked, “Were you listening to
that, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “Yes.” He said, “If I had known that
you were listening I would have tried to make it more beautiful for you.”
(Muslim, Salaat al-Musaafireen, 793).

 So if this imam has a beautiful voice and recites well, and
that will motivate these students, then there is nothing wrong with that,
especially since the regular imam has given permission for that. The regular
imam is to be thanked for giving his permission as that serves an interest.

Praying behind someone who works in a riba-based bank

 

Can we pray behind a person who is an employee of a bank which deals in riba.

Praise be to
Allaah.

The Standing Committee was asked a similar
question, and they replied: 

Working in a riba-based bank is haraam, and
the one who does that is disobeying Allaah, but prayer offered behind
him is still valid, because he is a Muslim. His prayer itself is valid,
if he meets all the conditions and does all that Allaah has prescribed
in the prayer, according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions.
If you can manange to pray behind someone else who is righteous and
pious, then that is better. And Allaah knows best. 

 

 

Ruling on the prayer of one who prays a fard prayer behind one who is praying a naafil prayer

 

What is the ruling on the prayer of one who prays a fard (obligatory) prayer behind one who is praying a naafil (supererogatory) prayer?

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz said: “The ruling is that that
is valid, because it was proven that on some of his journeys, the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) led one group of his
companions in praying two rak’ahs of the fear prayer, then he led another
group in praying two rak’ahs, so the second prayer was naafil for him.
Similarly it was proven in al-Saheehayn from Mu’aadh (may Allaah be pleased
with him) that he used to pray the fard of ‘Isha’ with the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then he would go and lead his
own people in praying their fard prayer, so it would be fard for them and
naafil for him. (See Saheeh al-Bukhaari, 701; Saheeh Muslim,
465).”                                                                             

(Majmoo’ Fataawa
al-Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz,
12/178)                               

This opinion is the view of Imaam al-Shaafa’i and was
narrated in one report from Imaam Ahmad. It was also the view favoured by
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem and Shaykh
Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on them all). See al-Sharh
al-Mumti’, 4/358.

 

Ruling on praying behind someone who smokes cigarettes and the narghile

 

We have six classes each day, then we pray Zuhr and we have various people who lead us in prayer. Some of them smoke cigarettes, some smoke the narghile (“hubble-bubble”), and some grow their hair long. What is the ruling on these people leading the prayer? Is it permissible to pray behind them?

Praise be to Allaah. 

Yes,
the prayer is valid, but it is better to appoint as your imaam the one
who reads the Qur’aan best, and who has the best understanding of Islam.
That is better, because the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Let the people appoint
as their imaam the one amongst them who reads the Qur’aan best.” (Narrated
by Muslim, no. 673). The meaning
of the one who reads the Qur’aan best is the one who reads it and acts
in accordance with it, because there is nothing good in reading it and
not acting in accordance with it. If the people appoint a person to
be the imaam, and among the congregation there is someone who reads
the Qur’aan better than he does, that is not right, as implied in the
hadeeth.

 Imaam
Ahmad mentioned in his book Risaalat
al-Sunniyah: If a person leads people in prayer and among
them there is someone who is better than him, they will be in a state
of decline. So it is better for you to be led in prayer by the one who
is most pious, who has the best understanding of Islam and who has the
most knowledge of the Qur’aan. But if we suppose that this man who smokes
cigarettes or who shaves his beard or who smokes the narghile or who
grows his hair long comes forward and leads you in prayer, we say: the
prayer is valid, and you do not need to repeat it, because he is Muslim,
but the prayer is imperfect.

 And
Allaah knows best.

If the one who knows more Qur’an holds Ash’ari beliefs, can he still lead the prayer?

 

If an Ash’ari knows more Qur’an,
can he lead the prayer or not?

Praise be to Allaah.

We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen,
may Allaah preserve him, who replied as follows:

“If he does not call others to follow his bid’ah and is not
stubborn when the truth becomes clear to him, there is nothing wrong with him leading the
prayer, otherwise, it is better if someone else leads the prayer even if he knows less
Qur’an. And Allaah knows best.”

 

Praying behind an incapacitated imam

 

MAY AN IMAM LEAD JAMA'AT SALAT IN A CHAIR,i.e. He takbirs,stands in qiyam,takbir goes to ruku, reciting du'a .


Rises erect,takbir goes to a sitting sajdah [which is a bow] in a chair,takbir sitting in chair for jalsa,sajdah &Then, takbir and stands to begin 2nd rakat. Are barakat lost to those who follow,though they move correctly.

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

It is
permissible for the imam to lead the people in prayer in the manner
mentioned in the question, and it is permissible for him to lead the people
in prayer whilst sitting down. This is the view of Abu Haneefah, al-Shaafa’i
and Ahmad. 

How the
worshippers behind him should pray depends on the situation: 

1 – If the
imam starts praying sitting down, then the people behind him should pray
sitting down. 

The evidence
for this is as follows: 

(i)               
It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah
the Mother of the Believers said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed at home when he was sick. He prayed
sitting down and some people prayed behind him standing up, but he gestured
to them that they should sit. When he finished (the prayer) he said, ‘The
imam has been appointed to be followed. When he bows, bow; when he raises
his head, raise your heads; and if he prays sitting, then pray sitting.’”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Adhaan, 657)

(ii)             
It was narrated from Anas ibn
Maalik that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) rode a horse and fell, and the right side (of his body) was
injured. He offered one of the prayers sitting down, and we prayed behind
him sitting down.  When he finished (the prayer) he said, ‘The imam has been
appointed to be followed. If he prays standing up, then pray standing up;
when he bows, bow; when he raises his head, raise your heads. When he says
Sami’ Allaahu liman hamidah (Allaah hears the one who praises Him),
say Rabbanaa wa laka’l-hamd (Our Lord, to You be praise). If he prays
standing, then pray standing, and if he prays sitting, then pray sitting,
all of you.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Adhaan, 648). 

2 – If the imam starts
the prayer standing, then something happens to him that makes him unable to
stand any more, those who are praying behind him should complete the prayer
standing. 

The evidence
for this is as follows: 

(i)               
It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah
(may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) became seriously ill and asked, ‘Have the
people prayed?’ We replied, ‘No, they are waiting for you.’ He said, ‘Put
some water in a tub for me.’ We did that and he took a bath and tried to get
up, but he fainted. Then he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
recovered, and again asked, ‘Have the people prayed?’ We said, ‘No, they are
waiting for you, O Messenger of Allaah.’ He again said, ‘Put some water in a
tub for me.’ He sat down and took a bath and tried to get up but fainted
again. Then he recovered and said, ‘Have the people prayed?’ We said, ‘No,
they are waiting for you, O Messenger of Allaah.’ He again said, ‘Put some
water in a tub for me.’ He sat down and took a bath and tried to get up but
fainted again. Then he recovered and said, ‘Have the people prayed?’ We
said, ‘No, they are waiting for you, O Messenger of Allaah.’ The people were
in the mosque, waiting for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) to lead them in ‘Isha prayer. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent word to Abu Bakr that he should lead
the people in prayer. The messenger went to him and said, ‘The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is telling you to
lead the people in prayer.’ Abu Bakr, who was a soft-hearted man, said: ‘O
‘Umar, lead the people in prayer.’ But ‘Umar answered, you have more right
to do that.’ So Abu Bakr led the prayers during those days. Then when the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) felt a little
better, he came out supported by two men, one of whom was al-‘Abbaas, for
the Zuhr prayer. Abu Bakr was leading the people in prayer, but when Abu
Bakr saw him, he wanted to step back [to let the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) lead the prayer]. But the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gestured to him that he should
not step back. He said, ‘Sit me down beside him,’ so they sat him down
beside Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr continued praying, but he followed the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in prayer, and the people
were following Abu Bakr in the prayer, and the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) was sitting down.” (narrated by al-Bukhaari,
al-Adhaan, 655). 

The relevant point
in this hadeeth is that Abu Bakr started to lead them in prayer standing up,
then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came and
led them from where Abu Bakr had reached, and he prayed sitting down, and
the Sahaabah prayed behind him standing up. This indicates that if the imam
starts the prayer standing, then he becomes unable to carry on standing,
then the people praying behind him should still pray standing. 

This does not mean that the prayer is lacking and it does not
detract from its blessing, in sha Allaah. And Allaah knows best. 

See Ahkaam al-Imaamah wa’l-I’timaam fi’l-Salaah by al-Muneef,
p. 112-116; Fath al-Baari Sharh Saheeh al-Bukhaari by Ibn Hajar, vol.
2, p. 174.

Who has the most right to lead the prayers?

 

I have a question regarding arrogance and
becoming an imam.
In my community there are a few Muslims that always assume that they are
the "most noble and learned" of the Muslims in the community and always assume
the imam position in prayer, and never request that another brother go ahead. In fact,
before the iqamah is recited these Muslims are already at the imam's mu-salla. The never
request another brother to become imam, and one of them even said "there is no one
here more qualified than myself." I do not know the exact reason why some of these
Muslims feel that they are the most qualified, but I think it is because they feel that
they are the oldest among the jama'ah or longest living in the community or even that they
are of a particular nationality or dress.
I also know that there are some brothers who have alhamdulillah memorized
much of the Qur'aan but they never want to become imam because they do not want to be
associated or in competition with the arragant ones.
Please forgive me for this somewhat long message, but is it permissible or
even preferred for these Muslims who may be learned to deny becoming the imam because of
perhaps humility? Are these two situations (the assuming of becoming imam and the denying
of it) two extremes that Allaah may be displeased with? If so, what should the people in
the jama'ah do in this situation?

Praise be to Allaah.

Many saheeh ahaadeeth have been narrated which explain
to the Muslims who is most qualified and has the most right to lead the prayers. One of
these ahaadeeth is that which was narrated from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be
pleased with him), who said that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said:

“If there are three people, let one of them lead the others in
prayer, and the one who has the most right to lead them is the one who knows more
Qur’aan.” (Narrated by Muslim, no. 1077).

The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said:

“The people should be led in prayer by the one who has most
knowledge of the Qur’aan and has been reciting it for longer. If they are equal in
their knowledge and reading of the Qur’aan, then they should be led by the one who
made hijrah first. If they are equal with regard to hijrah, then they should be led by the
one who is older…” (Narrated by Muslim, 1079).

To sum up what is indicated by these ahaadeeth, the one
who has the most right to lead the others in prayer is: the one who has most knowledge of
the Book of Allaah and of the fiqh of salaah.

Those who knew more of the Book of Allaah were appointed to lead the
prayers at the time of the Sahaabah, because they had learned the correct way of reciting
the aayat and they had learned the knowledge contained therein and the deeds prescribed by
the Qur’aan. So they combined knowledge and action [they acted upon what they had
learned], and did not stop at merely memorizing as is the case nowadays. How many people
learn all or part of the Qur’aan, take care to recite it properly and with a
beautiful voice, but they do not know anything about the fiqh of salaah.

If they are equal with regard to knowledge of the Qur’aan, then
the one who knows more about the Sunnah should lead the prayer. If they are equal with
regard to knowledge of the Sunnah, then the one who made hijrah first should lead the
prayer. If they are equal with regard to hijrah, or if this does not apply, then the one
who is older should lead the prayer, as is indicated in the hadeeth of Maalik ibn
al-Huwayrith, who said:

We came to the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),
and we were young people, close in age. We stayed with him for twenty days, and the
Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was kind to us. When he
thought that we were missing our families, he asked us about those whom we had left
behind, and we told him. He said, “Go back to your families and stay with them. Teach
them and instruct them” – and he said some things I remembered and some that I
forgot. “And pray as you have seen me praying. When the time for prayer comes, let
one of you call the Adhaan and let the oldest among you lead the prayer.” (Narrated
by al-Bukhaari, no. 6705). If they are equal with regard to recitation of
the Qur’aan, knowledge and hijrah, the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) commanded that the eldest of them should be appointed to lead the prayer. If
they are equal in age, then the one who is most righteous (has most taqwaa) should be
appointed, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, the most honourable of you with Allaah is that
(believer) who has al-Taqwaa (is one of the pious)…” [al-Hujuraat 49:13]. If
they are equal in all regards, then they should draw lots, if there is a dispute.

Having a PhD or having lived the longest in the land of the kuffaar
does not qualify a person to lead the prayers. The one who has memorized more Qur’aan
and has more knowledge of the fiqh of salaah is the one who should be appointed. It is not
right for Muslims to dispute over the leadership of the prayers on the basis of their
personal whims and desires. They should appoint the person who is described by
sharee’ah as being qualified to lead the prayers. We ask Allaah to reform the
Muslims.

 

Imaam being corrected by a member of the congregation if he makes a mistake in the prayer

 

My father wanders if, during Salat Alfarthd, the Imam mistakes or forgets what comes next in the middle of soorah, can the ones behind him correct or help him out??

Praise be to
Allaah.

This
is known as the issue of “correcting the imaam”.  

Correcting
the imaam is divided into two categories: 

That which is obligatory, which is correcting the
imaam concerning something which would invalidate the prayer if done
deliberately. If he makes a grammatical mistake which changes the meaning
of al-Faatihah, then he must be corrected, because this type of mistake
which changes the meaning of  al-Faatihah invalidates the prayer.
Similarly, if he omits a verse of al-Faatihah, he must be corrected,
because that invalidates the prayer. The kind of correction which is
mustahabb (recommended) is when the imaam makes a mistake which does
not invalidate the prayer altogether, but it does undermine the perfection
of the prayer. So if the imaam forgets to recite another soorah after
al-Faatihah, alerting him to this fact is sunnah. 

The
evidence for that is the words of the Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “I am a human being like
you, I forget as you forget. If I forget, then remind me.” (narrated
by al-Bukhaari, al-Salaah, 401). So he commanded them to remind
him. On one occasion when he became hesitant in his recitation, he said
to Ubayy ibn Ka’b, “What stopped you?”, i.e., what stopped you from
correcting me? This indicates that correcting the imaam is something
that is essential. 

See
al-Sharh al-Mumti’ by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, part 3, p. 346-347

 

An imam leads the Muslims in prayer and they dislike him, and he knows that

 

An imam leads the Muslims in prayer and they dislike him, and he knows that. How should we deal with this situation?.

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

It is makrooh for a man
to lead people in prayer when most of them dislike him for a justifiable
reason, such as if he is lacking in religious commitment, because the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are
three whose prayers do not go any further than their ears: a runaway slave
until he returns, a woman who spent the night with her husband being angry
with her, and one who leads people in prayer when they dislike him.”
Narrated and classed as hasan by al-Tirmidhi. 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said:  

If they dislike this imam
for a reason that has to do with his religious commitment, such as lying,
wrongdoing, ignorance, bid’ah (innovation) and so on, and they like another
because his religious commitment is better, such as if he is more honest,
more knowledgeable or more religiously committed, then the imam whom they
like should be appointed to lead them, and that imam whom they dislike
should not lead them in prayer. The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “There are three whose prayers will not go any
further than their ears: a man who leads people in prayer when they dislike
him, a man who does not come to pray until the time for the prayer is over,
and a man who enslaves a man who has been set free.”  

And he said: 

If there is some enmity
between the imam and the members of the congregation such as enmity based on
whims and desires or differences of opinion, he should not lead them in a
congregational prayer, because it cannot be perfected unless there is
harmony between them. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: “Do not make your lines ragged lest that create
disharmony among your hearts.” But if the imam is religiously committed and
follows the Sunnah, and they dislike him because of that, then it is not
makrooh for him to lead them in the prayer, rather they are to be blamed for
disliking him. Whatever the case, there should be harmony between the imam
and the people who follow him (in the prayer); they should cooperate in
righteousness and piety and refrain from hatred that is based on whims and
desires and devilish aims. The imam should pay attention to the rights of
the people who pray behind him, and he should not be harsh with them; and
the members of the congregation should pay attention to the rights of the
imam, and respect him. In conclusion, each party should put up with some
criticism from the other that may not befit religious commitment and
chivalry, because man is bound to have some faults and shortcomings. 

See al-Mulakhkhas al-Fiqhi, 1/155-156.

 

One who joined the prayer late leading another

 

A man entered the mosque after the imaam and congregation had said the salaam, but he found someone who had joined the prayer late and who was completing his prayer, so he stood beside him to make that man an imaam for him and so that he might attain the reward for praying in jamaa’ah. Is that permissible for him or not? And is the prayer that this man did with the one who had joined the prayer late valid?

Praise
be to Allaah.
 

 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said: “If a person comes late to the mosque and the people have already
prayed, and he finds someone who joined the prayer late still praying, it is
prescribed for him to pray with him and to stand to the right of the one who
had joined the prayer late, seeking the reward of praying in jamaa’ah
(congregation). The one who had joined the prayer late should then intend to
lead the other man. There is nothing wrong with that according to the more
correct of the two scholarly opinions. Similarly, if he finds a man praying
alone after the imaam has said the salaam, it is prescribed for him to pray
with him and to stand on his right, seeking the reward of praying in
jamaa’ah (congregation). When the one who had joined the prayer late or the
one who was praying alone says the salaam, then the one who came in last
should stand up and complete his prayer, because of the general meaning of
the evidence which speaks of the virtue of praying in congregation, and
because it was proven that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) saw a man who had entered the mosque after the prayer
was over, he said, “If anyone wants to do this man a favour, let him pray with him.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 574..

Ruling on praying behind one who claims to read palms and coffee cups

 

Is it permissible to pray behind a fortune-teller? I am sure he claims that he reads palms and coffee cups. He leads the prayer when the salaried imam is for some reason absent. There is no one else who has memorised the Quraan but him.

Praise be to Allaah.

It is not permissible to
pray behind one who claims to have knowledge of the unseen by reading coffee
cups or palms or anything else, because claiming to have knowledge of the
unseen is kufr. 

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah
have mercy on him) was asked: Is it permissible to pray behind an imam who
is a charlatan and a liar, knowing that some of them recite Qur’aan well? 

He replied: 

If the imam is a charlatan
who claims to have knowledge of the unseen or who does false and evil
things, then it is not permissible to appoint him as an imam or to pray
behind him, because the one who claims to have knowledge of the unseen is a
kaafir – we ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“Say: None in the
heavens and the earth knows the Ghayb (Unseen) except Allaah, nor can they
perceive when they shall be resurrected”

[al-Naml 27:65] 

The same applies to the one
who practices witchcraft – he comes under the same ruling as the kuffaar,
because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“They followed what the
Shayaateen (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the lifetime of
Sulaymaan (Solomon). Sulaymaan did not disbelieve, but the Shayaateen
(devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at
Babylon to the two angels, Haaroot and Maaroot, but neither of these two
(angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, ‘We are for trial,
so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).’”

[al-Baqarah 2:102] 

But if he commits some sins but does not do any of the
actions that constitute kufr such as witchcraft or claiming to have
knowledge of the unseen, but he does commit some sins, then prayers offered
behind him are valid, but it is better to look for another imam who is of
good character and is righteous, so as to be on the safe side with regard to
your religious commitment and so as to avoid going against those scholars
who say that it is not permissible to pray behind him. Sinners should not be
taken as imams but when they are imams, prayers offered behind them are
valid, because the people may be tested with them and it may be necessary to
pray behind them. But as for the one who calls on someone other than Allaah
or seeks the help of the dead and asks them for support, no one should pray
behind him, because by doing those things he is a kaafir, as these are the
actions of the mushrikeen whom the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) fought in Makkah and elsewhere. We ask Allaah to set the
affairs of the Muslims straight and to enable them to understand their
religion properly, and appoint the best of them in charge of their affairs,
for He is All-hearing, Ever Near. 

End quote from Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn Baaz (9/278). 

The person asked about here should be advised and the truth
should be explained to him, and the regular imam should be informed about
him, so that he can prevent him leading the prayers in his absence. 

And Allaah knows best.

He recites the soorah after al-Faatihah quietly so that the congregation can recite al-Faatihah

 

After reciting al-Faatihah in Jumu’ah (Friday) prayers, the Imaam recites part of the following soorah in a low voice, so that those who believe that it is obligatory for members of the congregation to recite al-Faatihah can do so. Then the imaam recites the rest of the soorah out loud. Is this bid’ah?

Praise be to Allaah. 

We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen,
may Allaah preserve him, who answered as follows:

Yes, this is bid’ah. And Allaah knows best.

Did it ever happen that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) started to pray when he was junub by mistake?

 

We seek a detailed answer about this Hadeeth:


Narrated by Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the prophet (PBUH) went out to pray, and when he said Allahu Akbar, he left and referred to them to stay as they are. Then he left, had ghusl and came back with his hair dripping of water, and led the prayer. After he fished the prayer he said: “I was junub and forgot to make ghusl” narrated by Ahmed.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly: 

This incident was narrated from the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the books of Sunnah. To sum
up, the people had formed their rows to pray behind the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and he stood before them as if he was
going to lead them in prayer, then he remembered that he was junub, so he
gestured to them to stay where they were, and he went and did ghusl, then he
came back to them with his head dripping with water. 

But there are some differences in the reports: 

Did the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) say takbeer and then remember that he was junub? Or did he remember
before the opening takbeer? 

The reports may be summed up as follows: 

1 – A version which clearly states that he remembered that he
was junub before he started to pray: 

This version was narrated by ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Wahb from Yoonus
from al-Zuhri from Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf from Abu
Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), as was narrated in Saheeh
Muslim (605), where it says: The iqaamah for prayer was given, and we
stood up and made the rows straight before the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came out to us. Then the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came
and stood in his prayer place before saying the takbeer, then he went away
and said to us: “Stay where you are.” We remained standing, waiting for him,
until he came out to us. He had done ghusl, and his head was dripping water.
Then he said takbeer and led us in prayer. 

Saalih ibn Kaysaan narrated from al-Zuhri – as was recorded
by al-Bukhaari (639) as follows: 

… until, when he was standing in his prayer place and we were
waiting for him to say takbeer, he turned and said, ‘Stay where you are.’ We
stayed where we were until he came out to us with his head dripping with
water, as he had done ghusl. 

2 – A version which clearly states that he said takbeer and
started to pray, then remembered that he was junub. 

This was narrated by Usaamah ibn Zayd from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn
Yazeed, the freed slave of al-Aswad ibn Sufyaan, from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd
al-Rahmaan ibn Thawbaan, from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him),
as is recorded by Ibn Majaah in al-Sunan (1220), al-Daaraqutni
(1/361) and al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra (2/397). This version
says:

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
came out to pray and said the Takbeer, then he gestured to them to wait. He
went and did ghusl, and his head was dripping with water whilst he led them
in prayer. When he finished he said, “I came out to you in a state of
janaabah, and I forgot until I had started to pray.” 

But there is some weakness in this isnaad with regard to
Usaamah ibn Zayd al-Laythi, Abu Zayd al-Madani. In his biography in
Tahdheeb al-Tahdheeb (1/209) it says: He was regarded as matrook by
Yahya ibn Sa’eed. Ahmad said: he is nothing. Abu Haatim said: His hadeeth
may be written down but should not be used as evidence. Al-Nasaa’i said: He
is not strong. Ibn Hibbaan said: He makes mistakes although he is of sound
character. End quote. No one narrated that he was trustworthy except Yahya
ibn Ma’een, but in another report from him he said that his ahaadeeth were
regarded as munkar. 

This version was also narrated via Muhammad ibn Sireen from
Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said takbeer, leading them in Fajr
prayer, then he gestured to them and went away, then he came back with his
head dripping, and led them in prayer. He said: “I am only human; I was
junub and I forgot.” 

Narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Awsat (5/317) and
al-Sagheer (2/74). He said: No one narrated it from Ibn ‘Awn except
al-Hasan ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan, and it was narrated only by Abu’l-Rabee’
al-Haarithi. It was also narrated by al-Bayhaqi (2/398). But this report
contains an error. The correct version was narrated from Muhammad ibn Sireen
from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). That is
based on two points: 

1 – The trustworthy narrators among the companions of Ibn
‘Awn differed with the report of al-Hasan ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan. Al-Bayhaqi
said: It was narrated by Ismaa’eel ibn ‘Aliyah and others from Ibn ‘Awn from
Muhammad from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
in a mursal report.  End quote.  

2 – Others followed Ibn ‘Awn in his mursal narrations. Abu
Dawood (233) said: It was narrated by Ayyoob, Ibn ‘Awn and Hishaam from
Muhammad in a mursal report from the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him). End quote. 

Al-Bayhaqi said in Ma’rifat al-Sunan wa’l-Athaar
(1306): This is how it was narrated by Ayyoob and Hishaam from Muhammad via
a mursal isnaad, and it was narrated by al-Hasan ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan
al-Haarithi from Ibn ‘Awn, from Muhammad, from Abu Hurayrah, but the former
is more sound. End quote. 

There is some corroborating evidence in other reports which
say that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
remembered he was junub after he had said the takbeer and started the
prayer: 

1-

It was narrated from al-Hasan from Abu Bakrah (may Allaah be
pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) started to pray Fajr, then he gestured with his hand,
saying stay where you are, then he came with his head dripping and prayed. 

Narrated by Abu Dawood (233), Ahmad (5/41), Ibn Khuzaymah
(3/62), Ibn Hibbaan (6/5), al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra (3/94) and
al-Tahhaawi in Bayaan Mushkil al-Athaar (2/86). According to some
versions it says “and he said takbeer”. 

Ibn Rajab said in Fath al-Baari (3/599): The hadeeth
of al-Hasan from Abu Bakrah is like a mursal report, because al-Hasan did
not hear from Abu Bakrah according to Imam Ahmad and the majority of earlier
scholars. End quote. 

2-

It was narrated that Anas ibn Maalik said: The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) began to pray, and
he said takbeer and we said takbeer with him, then he gestured to the people
(as if saying) stay where you are. Then we remained standing until the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to
us having done ghusl, and his head was dripping with water. 

Narrated by al-Daaraqutni (1/362), al-Tabaraani in
al-Awsat (4/92), al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra (2/399) via
Mu’aadh al-‘Anbari from Sa’eed ibn Abi ‘Aroobah from Qataadah from Anas. 

This hadeeth was also narrated in a mursal report from
Qataadah from Bakr ibn ‘Abd-Allaah al-Muzani. 

3-

It was narrated that ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) led us in prayer one day, and he left, then he came with
his head dripping water and led us in prayer. Then he said: I led you in
prayer just now when I was junub. Whoever experiences something like I
experienced, or feels cramps in his belly (as if needing to defecate), let
him do what I did.” 

Narrated by Ahmad (1/99), al-Tabaraani (6/272) and al-Bazzaar
(890). Its isnaad includes Ibn Luhay’ah, who is somewhat weak. Al-Tabaraani
said in al-Awsat (6/272). This hadeeth was only narrated from ‘Ali
with this isnaad, and it was narrated only by Ibn Luhay’ah. 

4 – It was narrated from ‘Ata’ ibn Yasaar that the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said takbeer in
one of the prayers, then he gestured to them with his hand to stay put, and
he went away, then he came back with traces of water on his skin. 

Narrated by Maalik in al-Muwatta’ (1/48/no. 110) with
a saheeh isnaad to ‘Ata’ who was one of the Taabi’een. 

Al-Bayhaqi said in al-Sunan al-Kubra (2/398): 

The report of Abu Salamah from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be
pleased with him) is more saheeh than the report of Ibn Thawbaan from him,
but with  the report of Ibn Thawbaan from him there is the report of Abu
Bakrah, and the report of ‘Ata’ ibn Yasaar and Ibn Sireen is mursal. It was
also narrated from Anas ibn Maalik. End quote. 

To sum up: When all these many isnaads are taken together,
which report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said takbeer and started to pray before he remembered that he was
junub, especially the saheeh reports from Ibn Sireen, Bakr al-Muzani and
‘Ata’ ibn Yasaar, all of that indicates that the incident did indeed take
place, and there is no contradiction between these reports and the report of
Abu Hurayrah which says that it happened before he said the takbeer, because
the incident may have been repeated, so it happened in one way on one
occasion and in another way on another occasion. Thus it is possible to
reconcile the reports.  

Abu Haatim Ibn Hibbaan said in his Saheeh (6/7): 

This is something that happened twice, on separate occasions.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came out on one
occasion and said takbeer, then he remembered that he was junub, so he left
and did ghusl, then he came back and resumed the prayer; and on another
occasion he came out and he stood to say takbeer, then he remembered that he
was junub before he said takbeer, so he went and did ghusl, then he came
back and led them in prayer, and there is no contradiction between the two
reports. End quote. 

Al-Nawawi said in Sharh Muslim (5/103): 

It may be that they were two separate incidents, which is
more likely. End quote. 

There is no problem, praise be to Allaah. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was a human being and he forgot
as all people forget. He made mistakes in his prayer on many occasions, and
none of the scholars denies that, rather they said that he was infallible
and protected from forgetting anything of the wahy (revelation) completely
in such a way that would cause it to be lost. 

Secondly: 

With regard to the fiqh of the hadeeth and deriving rulings
from it: 

It indicates that if the imam leads the people in prayer when
he is not in a state of purity (tahaarah) by mistake, then the prayer of the
people praying behind him is not affected, and it remains valid; and the
imam is the only one who is enjoined to repeat it, not those who prayed
behind him. 

The reason for that is that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) went back and did ghusl, then he came and
said takbeer for his prayer, and the people behind him were in their rows
and were still in a state of prayer, and he did not tell them to repeat the
takbeer with him. 

Ibn Rajab said in Fath al-Baari (3/600-602): 

There is nothing in the hadeeth to indicate that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) continued from where he had
left off from the opening takbeer when he forgot that he was junub, so it
could only have been one of two scenarios: 

1 – When he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
came back he said the opening takbeer and the people said takbeer with him 

2 – or the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) repeated the opening takbeer, and the people behind him continued
from their previous takbeer. 

This is what was suggested by al-Shaafa’i, who regarded it as
the basis for the validity of the prayer of one who is in a state of purity
behind an imam who prays in a state of impurity because he  forgot. 

Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said: some of the companions of Maalik
agreed with al-Shaafa’i concerning that. 

Two reports were narrated from Imam Ahmad concerning members
of the congregation starting and completing the prayer if they follow one
who forgot that he was impure, then he remembers it during his prayer. 

It was narrated from al-Hasan that they should complete their
prayers. 

The view of al-Shaafa’i is that it makes no difference
whether the imam forgot that he was impure or he remembered it, if the
person who prayed behind him did not know, and the one who prayed behind him
does not have to repeat his prayer. 

This is the view of Ibn Naafi’ among the Maalikis, and Ibn
‘Abd al-Barr narrated it from a number of fuqaha’ in the regions and
scholars of hadeeth. 

And it was narrated from Maalik and Ahmad that the one who
prayed behind the imam has to repeat the prayer. 

Hammaad, Abu Haneefah and his companions, and Sufyaan
al-Thawri –  according to the better known report from him –  said that the
one who prayed behind the imam should repeat the prayer, even if the imam
forgot and did not remember until he completed his prayer. End quote. 

On our site you will find a number of answers which state
that the prayer of the one who prayed behind an imam is valid if it becomes
apparent that the imam is without wudoo’, and that it is only the imam who
has to repeat the prayer, not those who prayed behind him. See
27091 and
85011. 

And Allaah knows best.

Should she pray behind her husband who is clean-shaven and lets his garment hang down below his ankles?

 

Is it better for a woman to pray alone, or behind her husband who is clean-shaven and lets his garment hang down below his ankles?

Praise be to Allaah. 

We
put this question to Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Jibreen, may Allaah preserve
him, who answered as  follows:

 

We think that it is better for her to pray alone.
The basic principle is that a faasiq (rebellious evildoer) should not lead
others in prayer, and it is makrooh to pray behind him. And Allaah knows
best.

Quran for read

Quran for read

Ruling on hating the Sahaabah

 

I was having a discussion with some people about the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them), and he told me that it was possible for any one of us to hate any one of the Sahaabah without that contradicting Islam. He said perhaps that (hating the Sahaabah) may put a person beyond the pale of faith but he would still remain a Muslim. We hope that you can explain this matter to us.

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

Undoubtedly it is a sign of great misfortune and misguidance
if a person’s faith is based on slandering the companions of the best of
mankind (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or arguing about
the disputes that arose among them, instead of occupying himself with doing
that which will benefit him in both his worldly and spiritual affairs. 

No one should have any reason to slander or hate or bear
grudges against the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him). Their virtues are many, for they are the ones who
supported Islam and spread the faith; they are the ones who fought the
mushrikeen; they are the ones who transmitted the Qur’aan, Sunnah and
rulings. They sacrificed themselves, their blood and their wealth for the
sake of Allaah. Allaah chose them to be the companions of His Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), so no one slanders them or
hates them except a hypocrite whose does not love Islam or believe in it. 

It was narrated that al-Bara’ (may Allaah be pleased with
him) said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) say: “The Ansaar: no one loves them but a believer and no one hates
them but a hypocrite. Whoever loves them, Allaah will love him, and whoever
hates them, Allaah will hate him.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3672; Muslim, 75.  

If a man who hates the Ansaar cannot be a believer and that
makes him a hypocrite, then how about one who hates the Ansaar and
Muhaajireen and those who followed them in truth, and slanders them, curses
them and denounces them and those who love them as kaafirs – as the Raafidis
do? Undoubtedly they deserve more to be regarded as kaafirs and hypocrites,
and of not being believers. 

Al-Tahhaawi said, discussing the beliefs of Ahl al-Sunnah
wa’l-Jamaa’ah: 

We love the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and we do not neglect to love any one
of them, nor do we disavow any one of them. We hate those who hate them and
who criticize them, and we only mention them in good terms. Loving them is
part of religious commitment, faith and ihsaan, and hating them is kufr,
hypocrisy and wrongdoing. 

Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan said: 

The way of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah is to love the family
(ahl al-bayt) of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him). 

The Naasibis love the Sahaabah but hate the family of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), hence they were
called Naasibis because they set themselves up (nasb) as enemies of the
family of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). 

The Raafidis are the opposite: they love the Prophet’s family
(ahl al-bayt) – or so they claim, but they hate the Sahaabah, whom they
curse, denounce as kaafirs and criticize. 

Whoever hates the Sahaabah hates Islam, because they are the
bearers of Islam and the followers of the Chosen Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him). So whoever hates them hates Islam, and
this indicates that there is no faith in the hearts of such people and that
they do not love Islam. 

This is an important basic principle which the Muslims should
understand, namely loving and respecting the Sahaabah, because that is part
of faith. Hating them or hating one of them is kufr and hypocrisy, because
loving them is part of loving the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) and hating them is part of hating the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). 

Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah. 

Some of the scholars explained in detail what is meant by
hating the Sahaabah. They said: If a person hates some of them for some
worldly reason, then that is not kufr and hypocrisy, but if it is for a
religious reason, because they were the companions of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then undoubtedly this is
hypocrisy. 

This is a good explanation which does not contradict what we
have mentioned above, rather it explains it further and reinforces it. 

Abu Zar’ah al-Raazi said: If you see a man criticizing one of
the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), then know that he is a heretic. 

Imam Ahmad said: If you see a man mentioning one of the
companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) in a bad way, then call his Islam into question. 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: 

If a person slanders them in a way that does not impugn their
good character or religious commitment, such as describing one of them as
being stingy or cowardly or lacking in knowledge or not being an ascetic and
so on, then he deserves to be rebuked and disciplined, but we do not rule
him to be a kaafir because of that. This is how the words of those who were
not regarded as kaafirs by the scholars are to be understood.  

If a person curses them and slanders them in general terms,
this is an area of scholarly dispute, depending on whether this cursing is
motivated by mere feelings or religious doctrines. If a person goes beyond
that and claims that they apostatized after the death of the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), apart from a small
group of no more than ten or so individuals, or that most of them rebelled
and did evil, then there is no doubt that such a person is a kaafir, because
he has denied what is stated in more than one place in the Qur’aan, that
Allaah was pleased with them and praised them. Indeed whoever doubts that
such a person is a kaafir is himself a kaafir, because this implies that
those who transmitted the Qur’aan and Sunnah were kaafirs or evildoers and
that the best of this ummah which is described in the verse “You are the
best of peoples ever raised up for mankind” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:110 –
interpretation of the meaning] – the first generation – were mostly
kaafirs and hypocrites. It implies that this ummah is the worst of nations,
and that the first generations of this ummah are the most evil. No doubt
this is blatant kufr, the evidence for which is quite clear. 

Hence you will find that most of those who proclaim such
views will sooner or later be shown to be heretics. Heretics usually conceal
their views, but Allaah has punished some of them to make an example of
them, and there are many reports that they were turned into pigs in life and
in death. The scholars have compiled such reports, such as al-Haafiz
al-Saalih Abu ‘Abd-Allaah Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Waahid al-Maqdisi, in his
book al-Nahi ‘an Sabb al-Ashaab in which he narrated the punishments
that befell such heretics. 

In conclusion, there are some groups of those who slander the
Sahaabah concerning who them is no doubt that they are kaafirs, others who
cannot be judged to be kaafirs, and others concerning whom there is some
doubt regarding that. 

Al-Saarim al-Maslool ‘ala Shaatim al-Rasool,
p. 590-591. 

Taqiy al-Deen al-Subki said: 

… This refers to one who slanders some of the Sahaabah. But
if a person slanders all of the Sahaabah, then he is undoubtedly a kaafir.
The same applies if he slanders one of the Sahaabah just because he is a
Sahaabi, because this is demeaning the virtue of the Sahaabah and indirectly
slandering the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). So
undoubtedly the person who does this is a kaafir. Based on this, the words
of al-Tahhaawi, “and hating them is kufr” should be understood as meaning
that hating all of the Sahaabah is undoubtedly kufr, but if a person
slanders a Sahaabi not because he is a Sahaabi but for some personal reason,
and that Sahaabi was, for example, one of those who became Muslim before the
Conquest of Makkah and of whose virtue we are certain – such as the Raafidis
who slander the two Shaykhs [Abu Bakr and ‘Umar] – then al-Qaadi Husayn
stated that the one who slanders the two Shaykhs is a kaafir. 

The reason for the
scholarly dispute on this issue is if a person slanders a specific person it
may be for some personal reason, or he may hate someone for a worldly reason
etc. This does not imply that he is a kaafir. But undoubtedly if he hates
one of the two Shaykhs because he was a companion of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then this is kufr, and indeed hating
any of the Sahaabah who was lower in status than two Shaykhs just because he
was a companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) is also definitely kufr.  

Fataawa al-Subki, 2/575. 

And Allaah knows best.

What is the Qadiani (Ahmadiyyah) sect? Is it permissible for a Muslim to marry one of them?

 

I just wana know about Ahmedi Fiqqah. the reason is that one of my friend start loving an Ahmedi, though i told him that its wrong but he is so much involve now. i just want the answer so that i fwd him.

Praise be to Allaah.

In the answer to question no.
4060 we have explained that this
group, which is known as Ahmadiyyah or Qadianiyyah, the followers of Mirza
Ghulam Ahmad, are kaafirs. In that answer you will find a discussion of
their kaafir beliefs and what the scholars have said about them.

Based on this, it is not permissible for a Muslim to marry
one of them or to give his daughter in marriage to them, because they are
kaafirs and apostates, and Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And do not marry Al-Mushrikaat (idolatresses) till they
believe (worship Allaah Alone). And indeed a slave woman who believes is
better than a (free) Mushrikah (idolatress), even though she pleases you.
And give not (your daughters) in marriage to Al‑Mushrikoon till they believe
(in Allaah Alone) and verily, a believing slave is better than a (free)
Mushrik (idolater), even though he pleases you. Those (Al-Mushrikoon) invite
you to the Fire, but Allaah invites (you) to Paradise and forgiveness by His
Leave, and makes His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs,
revelations, etc.) clear to mankind that they may remember”

[al-Baqarah 2:221] 

al-Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his Tafseer
(p. 99): 

i.e., do not marry mushrik women so long as they still
believe in shirk, until they believe, for a believing woman, no matter how
ugly she is, is better than a mushrik woman, no matter how beautiful she is.
This is general in meaning and includes all mushrik women. The verse in
Soorat al-Maa'idah is more specific and permits marriage to women of the
people of the Book, as Allaah says: “(Lawful
to you in marriage) are chaste women from the believers and chaste women
from those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) before your
time” [al-Maa’idah 5:5]…  

Then Allaah mentions the
wisdom behind the prohibition on the marriage of a Muslim man or woman to
one whose beliefs differ from theirs, as He says: “Those (Al-Mushrikoon)
invite you to the Fire” i.e., by their words, actions and circumstances,
and the one who mixes with them faces danger from them. The danger is not in
any worldly sense; rather the danger is eternal doom. End quote. 

If this friend of yours
is in a haraam relationship, then you must explain to him that this
relationship is haraam and that it is not permissible for a Muslim to be
alone with a non-mahram woman, or to shake hands with her or correspond with
her, and that he cannot end this relationship by getting married because it
is haraam to marry apostate women. He should look for a wife who is
religiously committed and can help him to protect his religious commitment
and to obey his Lord, and whom he can trust with his children. 

And Allaah knows best.

 

An Ismaili is asking about the differences between us and them

 

The suni mulsim was RESITING QURAN we are also resiting quran they are also reasiting ead namaz we are also we are also reasiting ead namaz and etc. 
THEN WHY WE HAVE TWO RELIGIOUS SHIA & SUNI

Praise be to Allaah. 

All of those who belong to
Islam and bear witness that there is no god except Allaah and that Muhammad
is the Messenger of Allaah recite the Qur’aan and affirm that salaah,
fasting, zakaah and Hajj are obligatory. But they are divided into different
groups, each of which has its own way as regards beliefs and acts of
worship. The best of these groups is Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, who adhere to the Qur’aan and
Sunnah both outwardly and inwardly, and who follow the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) and the first Muslims, the Muhaajireen and Ansaar.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

 “Say
(O Muhammad to mankind): “If you (really) love Allaah, then follow me
(i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow
the Qur’ششn
and the Sunnah), Allaah will love you” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:31]

 “And
the foremost to embrace Islam of the Muhaajiroon and the Ansaar and
also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allaah is well-pleased
with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them
Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever.
That is the supreme success” [al-Tawbah 9:100]

 The worst of these groups are the hypocrites
(munaafiqeen) who make
an outward display of faith whilst concealing kufr
(disbelief). They speak words which do not reflect what is in their
hearts. They are the ones of whom Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):

 “And
of mankind, there are some (hypocrites) who say: ‘We believe in Allaah
and the Last Day,’ while in fact they believe not…

And when they meet those who believe,
they say: ‘We believe,’ but when they are alone with their Shayaateen
(devils — polytheists, hypocrites), they say: ‘Truly, we are with you;
verily, we were but mocking’” [al-Baqarah 2:8, 14]

 Between these two groups are others
which vary in their degree of closeness to good and evil. The Ismailis
are an extreme Raafidi group who make an outward display of loyalty
to Ameer al-Mu’mineen ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) whilst concealing
disbelief in Allaah, His angels, His Books and His Messengers. Hence
some of the scholars said concerning the Faatimis, who were same as
the Ismailis, that they make an outward display of being Raafidis, but
they conceal in their hearts pure kufr. They are also called Baatinis
because they claim that the texts and laws have hidden (baatin)
meanings other than those which are known to the Muslims. For example,
they say that the five prayers refer to the knowledge of their secrets,
the fast of Ramadaan is the concealment of their secrets, and Hajj is
travelling to meet their shaykhs. But the baatini
school of thought – which includes the Ismailis – is based on secrecy.
Their real beliefs are secrets which are known only to their leaders,
and these leaders are deluding the ordinary people, enslaving and exploiting
them, demanding from them sums of money to be paid at certain times,
expecting absolute obedience from them and scaring them by telling them
that if they go against them they will be stricken with calamities.
They command them to be different from the Sunnis with regard to fasting,
ending the fast and Hajj, although they may show some tolerance and
act friendly in order to deceive them. You are one of the ordinary Ismailis,
and you do not know the secrets that the leaders have. They do not think
that you are qualified to know them, because they know that if you and
others like you were to discover these secrets, you would be disgusted
and would have nothing more to do with them, and you would reject their
beliefs. They want you to continue being a follower, enslaved to them,
and they want to retain their leadership over you. Fear Allaah and free
yourself from this enslavement to someone other than Allaah and following
someone other than the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), because there is no one
who should be followed apart from the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). May Allaah bless you with
guidance to the Sunnah and keep you away from the path of bid’ah; may
He open your eyes to the truth that He is Able to do all things.