The Shaykh mentioned some examples from the Sunnah regarding the obligation of a traveler to follow the resident imam, and that he should not shorten the prayer and leave him.
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The Shaykh: For this, there are many, many examples in the Musjid al-Khaif here and in the Farewell Pilgrimage: The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed the Fajr prayer one day, and when he finished the prayer, he found two men whose posture indicated that they had not joined the congregation in the prayer. So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) called out to them and said to them: أَوَلَسْتُما مسلمين ؟! Are you not Muslims?!. They said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah. He said: فما مَنَعَكما أن تصليا معنا ؟! What kept you from praying with us?Sunan an-Nasa'i 858. They said: O Messenger of Allah, we had already prayed in our tents. The understanding of these two in their answer is that they had learned from their Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): أنه لا صلاة في يومٍ مرَّتين Do not say a prayer twice in a day.Sunan Abi Dawud 579, so they performed the obligatory prayer in their tents. When they came to the mosque and found the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in prayer, they saw that they should not repeat the prayer a second time; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the authentic hadith: لا صلاة في يوم مرتين Do not say a prayer twice in a day.Sunan Abi Dawud 579. So what did the Messenger (peace be upon him) answer them?! They added a condition to that hadith لا صلاة في يوم مرَّتين Do not say a prayer twice in a day.Sunan Abi Dawud 579 and he said: إذا صلى أحدكم في رحله ، ثم أتى مسجد الجماعة فليصل معهم ؛ فإنها تكون له نافلة If one of you prays in his home, then comes to the mosque of the congregation, let him pray with them; for it will be a voluntary prayer for him. What is the understanding of this issue and its connection to our previous question?! Its understanding is: that what is originally prohibited becomes permissible, indeed obligatory, when a specific circumstance arises. Here, the original rule is that one does not pray an obligatory prayer twice, and the two men based their action on this. But the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified to them that the rule is as you know, but this specific case is an exception to the rule فإذا أتيتم مسجد الجماعة فصلوا معهم تكون لكم نافلة So when you come to the mosque of the congregation, pray with them, and it will be a voluntary prayer for you. So, if we compare this specific case with the general hadith: لا صلاة في يوم مرتين Do not say a prayer twice in a day.Sunan Abi Dawud 579, we find an apparent contradiction. But there is no contradiction, because the first hadith is general and was specified by this particular detail. But I say, the understanding of this is that what was previously prohibited and forbidden has become permissible, indeed obligatory. Why? So that he may align with the congregation, so that he may join the congregation. You will say to me: How is it prescribed for the traveler to follow the resident imam and then separate from him? Why? Because he returned to the original rule, just as the two men returned to the original rule. But just as a specification entered that original rule, so a specification entered their original rule that the traveler’s prayer is two rak'ahs. This specification is, on one hand, the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), and on the other hand, the strong and precise derivation from the hadith of Anas, which dropped the pillar from the one who is sound praying behind an imam who is sitting due to illness. All of this is so that this discrepancy does not appear. And the matter of discrepancy is very, very important; much of what is originally prohibited is tolerated in order to avoid falling into it. And perhaps I will conclude the answer regarding this issue and close your pages with what came in Sunan Abu Dawud: "That 'Uthman ibn 'Affan (may Allah be pleased with him), when he led the people in Hajj during his caliphate, and descended here in Mina, prayed as a resident, prayed four rak'ahs, and did not shorten the prayer. So some of the Companions disapproved of that for him, and among them was 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with them all)." But the strange thing in the matter, and here is the point, is that Ibn Mas'ud, who disapproved of his deviation from the Sunnah, excused 'Uthman. We are not in this context now, but nevertheless, "they said to him: The Sunnah is that the Messenger (peace be upon him) in the Farewell Pilgrimage prayed here shortened." Ibn Mas'ud was among those who disapproved of him, but nevertheless, when he prayed behind him, he prayed four rak'ahs. "It was said to him: How do you disapprove and then pray four rak'ahs behind him?" So he would say—and I hope you memorize this phrase, because it is considered a pillar in the path of eliminating many of the ideological differences over which much debate continues today between individuals and groups—what is this phrase? Why do you disapprove and then pray four rak'ahs? He said: "Disagreement is evil," "Disagreement is evil." So if disagreement is evil, and your Messenger commands you to follow the imam, and you follow your own opinion and say: The original rule is two rak'ahs! This original rule has been specified, so hold fast to the specific text, because the specific text abrogates the general text, as is established in the principles of jurisprudence. And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
The questioner: Here are two issues that may arise!
The Shaykh: Keep your issue in mind until we pray.
The student: If you would allow me, my brothers... you are bothering him.
The Shaykh : Welcome, welcome.
The student : May Allah reward you.
The questioner: Here are two issues that may arise!
The Shaykh: Keep your issue in mind until we pray.
The student: If you would allow me, my brothers... you are bothering him.
The Shaykh : Welcome, welcome.
The student : May Allah reward you.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.