If Someone Stops His Prayer Because of the Iqaamah, Does He Make Tasleem (Give Salaams) or Just Stop Praying?

In the Name of Allaah, the All-Merciful…

The following question was posed to the Permanent Committee of Scholars in Saudi Arabia:

If the iqaamah is called, and a person was praying two rak’ahs of Sunnah prayer or tahiyyat al-masjid, does he stop praying this prayer to join the congregational prayer?  If the answer is yes, then does he give salaams (tasleem) when leaving the prayer or does he simply stop praying without salaams?

They replied:

What is correct from the two positions held by the scholars is that he stops praying, and there is no need to give salaams when leaving that prayer, he just joins (the prayer behind) the imaam.  And success is only from Allaah.  May He raise the rank of our Prophet Muhammad, and grant him, his family, and companions peace.

Committee Chairman: Shaykh ‘Abdul-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abdillaah ibn Baaz
Vice Chairman: Shaykh ‘Abdur-Razzaaq ‘Afeefee
Member: Shaykh ‘Abdullaah ibn Ghudayyaan
Member: Shaykh ‘Abdullaah ibn Qu’ood

Source: Fataawaa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (no. 7347c, 7/313-314)

Translated by: Moosaa Richardson

10 thoughts on “If Someone Stops His Prayer Because of the Iqaamah, Does He Make Tasleem (Give Salaams) or Just Stop Praying?

  1. JazakAllahu khairan, Akhi al Kareem.
    Sometimes when we pray 2 rak’ah after salaat ‘isha, the Imam begins Taraweeh-prayer, before we could finish the sunnah prayer. So does the stopping of the sunnah prayer for the Jamaa’ah also apply to other Jamaa’ah prayers, like Taraweeh/Tahajjud?

    • Our discussion is about when the iqaamah is called for an obligatory prayer. Taraaweeh is not obligatory, nor does it have an iqaamah with it. You are asking about the case of different people praying different Sunnah prayers, which is no problem at all.

  2. JazakAllahu khairan Brother,

    I have a similar question, sometimes I see people in the local masjid coming after the Isha prayers and join the taraweeh, when the Imam completes the two rakah, the late comers continue two more rakah to complete their fard prayers. Is this acceptable.

    Similarly while travelling to Madina, I have noticed that some brothers join the salah for maghrib while their own intention is to pray isha. Is it acceptable.

    May Allah, azzawajal increase you in your knowledge and reward you rightly.

  3. BaarakAllaahu feek Ustadh Moosa, i would greatly appreciate if you could bring more opinions regarding this issue. I think i have heard some Ulamaa say that if the person can finish his Sunnah before the first rakaah of the Fard finishes, he can finish his Sunnah! Kindly elaborate more.

  4. As salaam walaykum brother Moosa a quick example/question: a brother is praying an obligatory prayer and he finds he has to use the hammam does he just leave the ranks like he would for the sunnah prayer or must he tasleem out then use the hammam? May Allah bless you

  5. As salam alaykum wa rehmathullah shaykh.

    If person start salah of nafil and started surah fathiha and iqamah started.? That peraon what have to salam(tasleem) one right hand side brake and join farz salah.?

  6. Is it obligatory to give the greeting of Salaam to the congregation when entering the musalla/prayer area of the masjid? I.e. before the prayer when people are waiting for the Salaah to begin

    Many people do this by saying it out loud when walking into the prayer area but I don’t know if it is required

    • The scholars differ over the ruling on initiating the greeting in the first place, whether arriving at the masjid or anywhere else. Most scholars say it is recommended, but not obligatory, citing the Verse which means, “WHEN you are greeted, then RESPOND…” [4:86], saying that the order is only mentioned relative to responding. However, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah raise his rank and grant him peace) mentioned the first of six basic rights of Muslim brotherhood is “when you meet him, give him salaams” (using commanding language), as found in Bukhaaree and Muslim, this being the wording of Muslim. So it seems safer and closer to the evidences, when combined all together, to say that we are required to initiate greetings of salaam when coming together.

      Based on this, we greet the Muslims of any place we enter, by greeting them all with one greeting with a raised voice. However, in the masjid, special care must be given to preserve the quiet and peaceful atmosphere of the masjid. So he should not greet very loudly while people are praying. Think about it, if we have been prohibited from reading the Quran loudly in a way that disturbs people who are praying, then what about other speech? And Allah knows best.

  7. Salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah I
    A sister was praying and her sick child started crying extremely so she stopped the prayer and attended to the child. Was she supposed to tasleem out and the check on the child or just step out of the prayer??
    Secondly do she repeat this prayer from beginning or pick up where she left off??
    May Allah aid us and unite us upon Quran was sunnah

    • Wa ‘alaykum as-Salaamu wa rahmatullaah wa barakaatuh. She does her best to evaluate the level of need before she breaks her prayer. If the child’s need is an emergency, she breaks her prayer and tends to him/her. If the child is just crying, she can suffice with the minimal recitation of al-Faatihah and minimal forms of thikr, and finish her prayer and then tend to his/her needs.

      If she can pick up the child or help him in some way while praying (handing him/her a bottle for example), then she does not break off the prayer. She continues praying with these kinds of minimal movements, while facing the qiblah and continuing the prayer. The Prophet (may Allah raise his rank and grant him peace) used to pick up Umaamah bint Abil-‘Aas and put her down repeatedly in his prayer, even when he was leading the people in congregational prayer. (Bukhari & Muslim) And Allah knows best.

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