The Imam’s Consideration of the Congregation in Advancing or Delaying the Prayer
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The questioner:
The Shaykh said: Does the imam of the congregation delay the prayer by a few minutes?
The Shaykh:
Yes.
The questioner:
Is it better to consider the people’s congregation in some of the prayers, or is it better to adhere to advancing the prayer, given that the hadith regarding advancing the prayer is more preferred?
The Shaykh:
This varies according to different circumstances. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was keen to pray at the beginning of its time, except for the 'Isha' prayer, for which he liked to delay it. However, if he saw that they had gathered and hastened, he would hasten, and if he saw that they were delaying, he would delay. This was regarding the 'Isha' prayer. As for the other prayers, the imam should urge the believing imam to be decisive; he should not let them be lazy, delay, and then he delays for their sake, because if he delays for their sake, they will increase in their delay. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan an-Nasa'i 795Sahih (Darussalam) The imam should be decisive with the ma'mum (those praying behind him), even with reminders, and he should have a precise system that does not vary, sometimes advancing and sometimes delaying.
No, he should be on a clear line so that the congregation knows his method and they attend the prayer. Decisiveness is required in this matter, except for those who have hardship, such as those who come from far away or for whom walking is difficult; he should consider them. When he reaches a certain point, he follows the weakest among them. If the delay is due to a cause beyond a person's control, the imam considers them and is gentle with them. But if the delay arises from laziness, the imam addresses the laziness. Yes.
The Shaykh said: Does the imam of the congregation delay the prayer by a few minutes?
The Shaykh:
Yes.
The questioner:
Is it better to consider the people’s congregation in some of the prayers, or is it better to adhere to advancing the prayer, given that the hadith regarding advancing the prayer is more preferred?
The Shaykh:
This varies according to different circumstances. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was keen to pray at the beginning of its time, except for the 'Isha' prayer, for which he liked to delay it. However, if he saw that they had gathered and hastened, he would hasten, and if he saw that they were delaying, he would delay. This was regarding the 'Isha' prayer. As for the other prayers, the imam should urge the believing imam to be decisive; he should not let them be lazy, delay, and then he delays for their sake, because if he delays for their sake, they will increase in their delay. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Come forward and follow me, and let those who are behind you follow your lead. If people continue to lag behind, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, will put them back.
تقدموا فأتموا به وليأتم بكم من بعدكم ولا يزال قوم يتأخرون حتى تؤخرهم اللهNo, he should be on a clear line so that the congregation knows his method and they attend the prayer. Decisiveness is required in this matter, except for those who have hardship, such as those who come from far away or for whom walking is difficult; he should consider them. When he reaches a certain point, he follows the weakest among them. If the delay is due to a cause beyond a person's control, the imam considers them and is gentle with them. But if the delay arises from laziness, the imam addresses the laziness. Yes.
Source
شرح بلوغ المرام من أدلة الأحكام [ صالح الفوزان ]، تابع باب المواقيت - 3 — islamhouse.com (1:02:04)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.