Is it permissible for a man, if he is among the people of virtue, to pray the prayer for the absent one when he is called to it, fearing that if he does not respond, a harm will result, and what are the parallels to this among the issues?
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The questioner : The benefits and harms regarding the one for whom the prayer for the absent one is established, and the man is present in the mosque with the worshippers, and he is called to the prayer for the absent one, so does he pray with them if he fears that leaving it will result in a harm, or does he leave it? And what are the parallels to this among the issues?
The Shaykh : Yes, this issue varies according to the afflicted person’s view of this reality. Often, the assessment of the matter differs from one person to another, and often the matter differs regarding the possibility of turning this harm into a benefit. If there is a man among the people of knowledge and virtue who has a status in that community where the harm is established—and in the mentioned question, it is the prayer for the absent one, which is not prescribed in these days, because it did not occur from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) at all except once, when he prayed for the Negus, where there was no one to perform the obligatory prayer for him—then if a virtuous man attends a community where this prayer for the absent one, which is not prescribed, is established, and he is able to deliver a word and clarify that this is contrary to the Sunnah, and that this clarification will drive away Satan and will be a clarification for the people that they will benefit from in the time to come, then this has its own standing. And as for the one who is not like this learned, virtuous man whose word is heard and who has a high status, but is rather from the general people, and he fears for himself that he may be afflicted with something disliked, then there is no harm in him following along, in the sense of repelling the greater harm with the lesser. This is my opinion, and the summary of it is that no general rule is given, but rather for every occasion there is a saying, and for every state there are men.
The Shaykh : Yes, this issue varies according to the afflicted person’s view of this reality. Often, the assessment of the matter differs from one person to another, and often the matter differs regarding the possibility of turning this harm into a benefit. If there is a man among the people of knowledge and virtue who has a status in that community where the harm is established—and in the mentioned question, it is the prayer for the absent one, which is not prescribed in these days, because it did not occur from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) at all except once, when he prayed for the Negus, where there was no one to perform the obligatory prayer for him—then if a virtuous man attends a community where this prayer for the absent one, which is not prescribed, is established, and he is able to deliver a word and clarify that this is contrary to the Sunnah, and that this clarification will drive away Satan and will be a clarification for the people that they will benefit from in the time to come, then this has its own standing. And as for the one who is not like this learned, virtuous man whose word is heard and who has a high status, but is rather from the general people, and he fears for himself that he may be afflicted with something disliked, then there is no harm in him following along, in the sense of repelling the greater harm with the lesser. This is my opinion, and the summary of it is that no general rule is given, but rather for every occasion there is a saying, and for every state there are men.