Part 20

This was in spite of the fact that those people might have prayed in their own place.

So, it is an obligation on this group to pray with the congregation in the Masjid, unless they are far away and it would be difficult for them.

Q. 298. Is it preferable for an employee to go quickly to prayer upon hearing the adhan, or should he wait until he has completed some tasks? And what is the ruling on performing supererogatory prayers aside from the regular Sunnah prayers after it?

A. It is better for all of the Muslims to go early to prayer when

they hear the Afhan, because the Mu‘aththin says: ‘Hurry to

prayer,’ and being slow in responding to the adhan may result in * the prayer being missed.

As for performing supererogatory prayers other than the

"1 The reference for this Hadith was mentioned in the previous answer.

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regular Sunnah prayers, it is not permissible, because his time is the right of someone else, according to his contract of hire or employment. But as for the regular Sunnah prayers, there is no objection, because it is customary for those in charge to permit it. And Allah is the Granter of success.

Q. 299. If the first Rak‘ah, or the second was missed with the congregation, should the one making up for his prayer recite another Surah with Surat Al-Fatihah, since he is making up for what he had missed, or should he confine himself to reciting Surat Al-Fatihah?

A. The correct view is that what the one being led in prayer is making up after the Taslim of the Imam is the end of his prayer. So, based upon this, he should not recite anything except Surat Al-Fatihah in it, if what was missed was two Rak’ahs or one Rak‘ah from the four Rak‘ah prayers, or one Rak‘ah from the Maghrib prayer. But as for the Fajr prayer, he should recite Surat Al-Fatihah and another Surah, because Surat Al-Fatihah and another Surah are recited in both Rak‘ahs.

Q. 300. A worshipper entered while the Imam was in the second Tashahhud; should he join the congregation, or wait for another congregation? Deliver a verdict for us, and may Allah reward you with goodness.

A. If a person enters while the Imam is in the second Tashahhud, if he expects that there will be a second congregation, he should not join with him, but if he does not expect that there will be a second congregation, he should join with him. This is because the most authoritative opinion is that the congregational prayer is not attained except by catching at least one Rak‘ah of it, according to the general meaning of the statement of the Prophet #2:

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“Whoever caught a Rak‘ah of the prayer has caught the

prayer." Just as the Friday prayer is not caught except by catching at least one Rak’ah, so is the case with the congregational prayer. If one catches the Jmam in the last Tashahhud, he will not have attained the congregational prayer, and so he should wait and pray it with the congregation which he is expecting. But if he is not expecting a second congregation, then joining with the Imam in order to catch what remains of the Tashahhud is better than leaving it.

Q. 301. What should be done if the Iqamah for the obligatory prayer is called, and the worshipper has started to offer the supererogatory prayer?

A. If the obligatory prayer begins and you have started to offer a supererogatory prayer, there are some scholars who say that you must discontinue it immediately, even if you are in the final Tashahhud.

And there are some scholars who say that it should not be discontinued unless you fear that the Imam will make the Taslim before you are able to make the opening Takbir and pray with him.

These are two opposing views:

1. That if the prayer begins, you should stop the supererogatory prayer, even if you were in the final Zashahhud.

2. That you should not stop it unless nothing remains of the prayer with the Imam except the equivalent of the time it would take to make the opening Takbir, in that case you should stop it. That is, you should continue with the prayer and not stop it, unless you feared that the Imam will make the Taslim before you

' Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim; and the reference for it was mentioned under no. 209.

are able to make the opening Takbir and catch the prayer with him.

These two opinions are contradictory; that is to say, according to . the second view, you should continue with your prayer, even if you missed all of the Rak‘ahs. So, as long as you make the opening Takbir before the Imam makes the Taslim, continue with this supererogatory prayer.

In my opinion, the middle way is better, that if the prayer begins while you are in the second Rak‘ah, then complete it quickly, but if the prayer begins while you are in the first Rak‘ah, then stop it, in accordance with the saying of the Prophet 2:

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So, if you have already prayed one Rak‘ah before the start of the prayer, then you have caught one Rak‘ah before the interdiction and prohibition began.

And if you caught one Rak‘ah before the interdiction and prohibition began, then you have caught the prayer and all of the prayer becomes permissible, and so you should complete it,

but quickly, because catching a portion of the obligatory prayer is better than catching a portion of the voluntary prayer.

But if you were in the first Rak‘ah, you have not caught anything of the time in which the prayer is caught, because the Prophet #% said:

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So, based upon this, you should stop it, because the Prophet #% said:

"1 Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim; and the reference for it was mentioned under no. 209.

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“When the prayer begins, there is no prayer except the obligatory prayer"!

Q. 302. A person being led in prayer joined the prayer after the opening Takbir of the Imam and his recitation of Surat Al-Fatihah. Then he began to recite Surat Al-Fatihah, but the Imam had already bowed; should the one being led in prayer bow with him, or complete his recitation of Surat Al-Fatihah?

A. If a person being led in prayer joins the prayer, and the Imam wants to bow, and the one being led is not able to recite Surat Al-Fatihah if only a Verse or so remains so that it is possible for him to complete it and to catch the Jmam in the Ruku’‘, then that is better. But if a lot remained, so that if he recited it, he would not catch the Jmam in Ruku’, then he should bow with the Imam, even if he had not completed the recitation of Surat Al-Fatihah.

Q. 303. If a person being led in prayer caught the Imam in Sujud, should he wait until he stands up, or prostrate with him?

A. It is preferable to join with the Imam in whatever position he finds him and not to wait, according to the general meaning of the words of the Prophet #2:

“Whatever you catch, pray it.”'?!

"1! Reported by Muslim in the Book of the Travellers’ Prayers, in the Chapter: The Dislike of Beginning a Voluntary Prayer After the Muaththin Starts.

'?] The reference for this Hadith was mentioned previously under no. 224.

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Q. 304. His Eminence, the Shaikh was asked: If a worshipper in the silent prayers finished reciting Surat Al-Fatihah and another Surah before the Imam made Ruku’, should he be silent?

A. His Eminence answered: The one being led in prayer should not be silent if he finishes reciting Surat Al-Fatihah and another Surah before the Imam bows. Instead, he should recite until the Imam bows, even if it be in the two Rak‘ahs which are after the first Tashahhud and he has completed Surat Al-Fatihah and the Imam has not bowed. Rather he should recite another Surah until the Jmam bows, because there is no silence legislated in the prayer except when the one being led in prayer is listening to the recitation of his Imam.

Q. 305. What is the ruling on moving before the Imam?

A. Moving before the Imam is unlawful, according to the words of the Prophet #8:

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It has been confirmed from him #¢ that he said:

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“The Imam was placed only that he may be followed, so if he says

') Reported by Al-Bukhari in the Book of the adhan, in the Chapter: The Sin of One Who Raises His Head Before the Imam, Hadith (691); and by Muslim in the Book of Prayer, in the Chapter: The Prohibition of Anticipating the Imam, Hadith 114 (427).

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‘Allahu Akbar,’ then you say ‘Allah Akbar,’ and do not make the Takbir until he makes the Takbir; and if he bows, then you bow, and do not bow until he bows." I would like to take this opportunity to say that the person led in prayer by his Imam falls into four categories:

1, Anticipation. 2. Conformity. 3. Following. 4. Delay.

Anticipation: That he begins to do something before his Imam and this is unlawful. If this occurs with the opening Takbir, the prayer will not be valid under any circumstances and he must repeat the prayer from the beginning.

Conformity: That he conforms with the Imam, bowing when he bows, prostrating when he prostrates and straightening up when he straightens up. it is apparent from the evidences that this is unlawful as well, according to the words of the Prophet 2%:

“Do not bow until he bows.” Some of the scholars consider it disliked and not unlawful, except in the opening Takbir, because if he performs it simultaneously with his Imam, his prayer will not be counted and he must repeat it.

Following: That he performs the actions of the prayer after his Imam without delay, and this is what is prescribed.