[
In the Name of Allaah, the All-Merciful... Shaykh Muhammad
ibn Saalih Al-'Uthaymeen also said, after affirming that the
Sunnah is to pray 11 rak'ahs in another place in the
same book: ]
So
then what if someone says, "You have established that
11 rak'ahs (is the Sunnah), so then what do you say
if we pray behind an imaam who prays 23 or more, should we
remain seated and not pray with him when he stands for the
sixth tasleem (after 10 rak'ahs), or is it better
to finish with him?"
The
answer: It is best to complete (the prayer) with him, and
the evidence for this is from two angles:
The
first one is the statement of the Prophet (sallallaahu
'alayhe wa sallam) about the night prayers of Ramadhaan:
"Verily
whoever stands (in prayer) with
the imaam until he leaves, then it will be written for him
that he stood a (complete)
night (in prayer)."
[5]
So
whoever remained seated and waited for the imaam to reach
the Witr Prayer, then he has not prayed with the imaam
until he has left, since he has left off a portion of his
prayer.
The
second angle of proof is the generality of the statement of
the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam):
"Verily
the imaam has only been appointed to be followed."
[8]
This
includes every action the imaam does, so long as it is not
a forbidden one, and increasing upon 11 (rak'ahs) is
not forbidden, so then we follow the imaam. However, if the
increase is forbidden, like if the imaam prays five rak'ahs
for Thuhr Prayer, then we do not follow him.
Furthermore,
we must know that the unity of the Ummah is something sought
after with the highest priority from the Islaamic Sharee'ah,
since Allaah has said:
"And
this is your Ummah, a single Ummah." [9]
And
differing between members of the Ummah is something to be
rejected, as Allaah the Most High has said:
"And
do not be like those who split up and differed after the clear
proofs came to them." [10]
And
Allaah the Most High has said:
"Allaah
has legislated as part of the Religion that which he enjoined
upon Nooh, that which We sent down to you, and what he enjoined
upon Ibraaheem, Moosaa, and 'Eesaa: That you establish the
Religion and do not be divided over it." [11]
And
He, the Most High, has said:
"Verily
those who split up their Religion and became sects, then you
have absolutely nothing to do with them. Rather your affair
is solely with Allaah, and He will inform them of what they
used to do." [12]
And
the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) used to
say when lining the people up for prayer:
"Do
not differ, or your hearts will differ." [13]
And
when 'Uthmaan (may Allaah be pleased with him) prayed the
prayers that have four rak'ahs during Hajj in Minaa,
he did not shorten them after eight years of his khilaafah
had passed. The people detested this, saying, "The
Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) shortened (his prayer),
and so did Aboo Bakr and 'Umar, as you did in the beginning
of your khilaafah." However, he (may Allaah be pleased
with him) changed his position, and those Companions that
spoke against this action of his still prayed four rak'ahs
behind him, while detesting it. This was while this increase
was inseparable from the prayer, and it was an evil thing
to them, however they still followed the imaam, preferring
unity.
So
what do you think about when the increase is separate, not
directly connected to the prayer, and when a person does it
intentionally it does not nullify the prayer? And he (the
one who does not pray more than 11 or 13 rak'ahs with
the imaam) says, "We are people who stick to the Sunnah
and follow the narrations from the Companions," with
this contradiction of his in this issue.
So
I say: Surely any person that says he follows the Sunnah and
the guidance of the Salaf, it is not for him to abandon the
imaam when he prays 23 (rak'ahs) and say, "I
will follow the Sunnah and pray 11 rak'ahs," since
you have been ordered to follow your imaam, and you have been
prohibited from contradicting (him). Furthermore, you have
not been prohibited from increasing upon 11 rak'ahs.
So
then it is binding upon the students of knowledge specifically,
and upon all people in general, to be vigilant in preserving
unity whenever it is possible, since the only hope for the
people of disobedience and the criminals is that the people
of goodness differ. This is because they have no weapon more
effective than differing, and verily Moosaa said to the magicians:
"Woe
to you, do not invent lies against Allaah, lest he wipe you
out with a (single) punishment,
for those who lie will suffer loss. Then they differed over
their affair between themselves." [14]
Once
they differed, they failed and lost their strength.
So
this differing that we find with some of our brothers who
are (overly) stern in following the Sunnah in this issue and
others, I view it as a contradiction to the Sunnah and to
the goals of the Sharee'ah, like the unifying of the
positions and the unity of the people, since this, and for
Allaah is the praise, is not something that is haraam nor
is it a munkar, rather it is something that is based
upon ijtihaad. So as for us bringing about division
and causing the hearts to have animosity, hatred, and mockery
for the one who opposes our position, while it is permissible
and not in opposition to the Sunnah, then it is obligatory
on every man to protect and guard over the unity of the ranks
whenever possible. [15]
This
article was taken from
BAKKAHnet (www.bakkah.net)
