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Leaving a necessary action in prayer

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Qibla.com

Answered by Mufti Muhammad Nidham ad-Deen ar-Ridawi

I am a student of Islamic law specializing in the Hanafi School, and I have stopped at an issue in the fiqh of worship that I have not found an explanation to. I ask from your Excellency a clarification to my question, and it is:

Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

In the name of Allah most Gracious and Merciful All praise is to Allah, Lord of the worlds

And all blessings and peace to our Master Muhammad, his family, and companions

If the follower (muqtadi) intentionally omits a necessary action (wajib) or intentionally commits an action that is prohibitively disliked (makruh tahriman) while praying behind the imam, then it is necessary (wajib) for him or her to repeat the prayer. However, one does not break the prayer immediately, but continues following the imam until he finishes, then rises to repeat the prayer.

If, on the other hand, the follower does the aforementioned forgetfully, then it is not necessary (wajib) for he or she to repeat the prayer or to perform the forgetfulness prostration (sujud sahw).

It is mentioned in Radd al-Muhtar, in the chapter on the method of prayer:

If one recites while praying behind the imam it is prohibitively disliked, but one’s prayer is not vitiated according to the sounder opinion, as will be mentioned prior to the chapter on imamah. One is not required to perform the forgetfulness prostration if one recites forgetfully, because the rule is that the forgetfulness prostration is never required upon the follower (muqtadi). What if one recites intentionally, must one repeat the prayer? Imam Ibrahim al-Halabi and imam al-Tahtawi have affirmed that it is necessary to repeat the prayer. [Radd, sifatus salah]

I comment: What Imam al-Halabi and Imam al-Tahtawi affirm is the sounder position, because the necessity of repeating the prayer is established by two general principles which the jurists (fuqaha) have not excluded the follower (muqtadi) from.

The first principle: It is necessary (wajib) to repeat every prayer offered with a prohibitively disliked action [al-Durr al-Mukhtar: siftus salah, al-Ashbaah: al-fann al-thani]

The second principle: it is necessary (wajib) to repeat if a necessary action was omitted intentionally [al-Fatawaa al-hindiyya, al-Dur al-Mukhtar]

As for the scholars’ saying, that the forgetfulness prostration is necessary, it is a general rule from which the follower (muqtadi) is excepted, because the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “whoever prays behind the imam does not perform the forgetfulness prostration (if he or she forgets), but if the imam forgets, then it is required upon him and those behind him.” [Reported by al-Bazzar and al-Bayhaqi, and verified thoroughly by imam Ahmad Rida (Allah’s mercy and pleasure be upon him) in the fatawaa al-Ridawiyya pages 641-644, 2nd volume]

Know that omitting a necessary action intentionally does not vitiate the prayer, but that it remains correct as it contains all of the obligatory actions; however, it is considered deficient due to the omission of a necessary action. So one’s prayer is correct in itself with deficiency.

Also, it is not permitted for the follower to vitiate the prayer, because Allah Most High says, “do not render your works void,” and it is well understood that breaking the prayer means rendering a good work void. Another reason (f: vitiating prayer is not allowed) is that, following the imam is necessary (wajib) as is mentioned in al-Durr al-Mukhtar, and Radd al-Muhtar, and in other books in the chapter on the method of prayer.

The Prophet (Allah Most High bless him and give him peace) said, “The imam has been placed to be followed.” [Related by Muslim] This is a clear proof that following the imam is necessary, and there is no doubt that vitiating the prayer means omitting this necessary action. Indeed it is necessary (wajib) upon one to correct the deficiency after completing the obligatory prayer, and this is achieved by repeating the prayer after the imam finishes. In conclusion, it is incumbent upon the follower to remain in the prayer until the imam finishes, then he or she repeats it, and Allah knows best.

Written by,

Muhammad Nidham ad-Deen ar-Ridawi
Dar al-Ifta in Dar al-uloom al-Ashrafiyya
Mubarakfoor, Azam Garh
4th Rabi al-akhir, 1425 Hijri
25th May 2004

(Question and translation by Sidi Fadi Qutub Zada)

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