An imam is asked by the elderly and the weak to pray the Fajr prayer with the short surahs and to change his voice in the takbir for the sitting of the tashahhud?
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Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. I am the imam of a mosque, and I strive to apply the Sunnah with gentleness and wisdom. However, some of the ma'mum (congregation), including the elderly, the weak, and others, ask me to pray the Fajr prayer with the short surahs, such as al-Zalzalah, al-Ikhlas, and al-Falaq, and to recite the tasbih only once in the ruku' and sujud, and to change my voice and prolong it in the takbir for the sitting of the tashahhud. I have taught them for four years that this is contrary to the Sunnah, and they want me to leave the mosque. Should I agree with them, or what should I do?
Answer:
As for the takbir, the matter is easy, whether you lower your voice for them or not; the takbir is an easy matter. As for lightening the prayer and restricting oneself to the short surahs in the Fajr prayer, this is a mistake. The Sunnah is to recite from the long surahs of the final part of the Qur'an (al-Mufassal) in the Fajr prayer; that is the Sunnah. So do not obey them in this. As for the one who is unable to stand, he sits if he is weak and unable to stand. But if he is able to stand, he must stand, even if it is difficult for him but bearable. The result is that you do not recite from the short surahs of al-Mufassal in the Fajr prayer.
And do not obey them in lightening the prayer. As for whether you leave the mosque or not, that is up to you. If you have a desire to continue, you continue. If you do not have a desire, you move to another mosque. You move to another mosque, or you leave the imamate; that is up to you, according to your circumstances and your inclinations.
But remaining in the imamate, whether in this mosque or another, is better for you, because the imam has a great reward. Also, the imamate obligates you to attend the congregation in every prayer and not be late. The congregation also obligates you to engage in the study of the Qur'an and the mastery of the Qur'an constantly. And if you do well in the congregational prayer, you will have your reward and the reward of those behind you. There are great benefits in this. Yes.
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. I am the imam of a mosque, and I strive to apply the Sunnah with gentleness and wisdom. However, some of the ma'mum (congregation), including the elderly, the weak, and others, ask me to pray the Fajr prayer with the short surahs, such as al-Zalzalah, al-Ikhlas, and al-Falaq, and to recite the tasbih only once in the ruku' and sujud, and to change my voice and prolong it in the takbir for the sitting of the tashahhud. I have taught them for four years that this is contrary to the Sunnah, and they want me to leave the mosque. Should I agree with them, or what should I do?
Answer:
As for the takbir, the matter is easy, whether you lower your voice for them or not; the takbir is an easy matter. As for lightening the prayer and restricting oneself to the short surahs in the Fajr prayer, this is a mistake. The Sunnah is to recite from the long surahs of the final part of the Qur'an (al-Mufassal) in the Fajr prayer; that is the Sunnah. So do not obey them in this. As for the one who is unable to stand, he sits if he is weak and unable to stand. But if he is able to stand, he must stand, even if it is difficult for him but bearable. The result is that you do not recite from the short surahs of al-Mufassal in the Fajr prayer.
And do not obey them in lightening the prayer. As for whether you leave the mosque or not, that is up to you. If you have a desire to continue, you continue. If you do not have a desire, you move to another mosque. You move to another mosque, or you leave the imamate; that is up to you, according to your circumstances and your inclinations.
But remaining in the imamate, whether in this mosque or another, is better for you, because the imam has a great reward. Also, the imamate obligates you to attend the congregation in every prayer and not be late. The congregation also obligates you to engage in the study of the Qur'an and the mastery of the Qur'an constantly. And if you do well in the congregational prayer, you will have your reward and the reward of those behind you. There are great benefits in this. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، إمام يطلب منه كبار السن والضعفاء أن يصلي في الفجر بقصار السور وأن يغير صوته في التكبير لجلسة التشهد؟ — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.