What is the meaning of his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): “Is there no man who would give charity to this man by praying with him?”

The questioner : Regarding the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) , we ask regarding the imamah: who is the imam of the man who prayed with the congregation, or the man who missed the congregation?

The Shaykh : The one who missed the congregation.

The questioner : The one who missed the congregation?

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : What is the meaning of the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) ?

The Shaykh : If we understand this meaning, that the imam is the one who missed the congregational prayer, because the occasion of this hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is that he prayed one day with his Companions, then a man entered and had missed the prayer. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw him and said to those who had prayed behind him: So he did not say “pray as he prays,” but rather he said “pray with him.” First, the one who gives charity and the one who receives it: there is no doubt that one of them is rich and the other is poor. Here, the rich one is the one who prayed behind the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and the poor one is the one who missed the prayer behind the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Therefore, the one who prayed behind the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is the one who gives charity to him, meaning he follows him and makes the prayer of this man who entered and will pray alone a congregation. So it is he who gives charity to him, not the poor one giving charity to this rich one.

Another questioner : O our Shaykh, if he is more knowledgeable in recitation and jurisprudence than him, does he give charity to him?

The Shaykh : This statement is not applicable.

Another questioner : Is this prescribed? I mean, if we are in the mosque and we know a man who is diligent in preserving the Fajr prayer, but he is late one day, for example, and one imam stands up.

The Shaykh : Yes, this is prescribed for them. Yes.

Another questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

Another questioner : Okay, do they use it as an argument for establishing the second congregation?

The Shaykh : Yes, the hadith has no connection to the second congregation. There are several tapes in which this is included,

Another questioner : following one person, O our Shaykh, and others.

The Shaykh : No, just one person.