The Ruling on the Prayer of the Festival
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His Eminence the Shaykh: What is the ruling on the festival prayer? Is it a collective obligation or an individual obligation? And what is the evidence that it is a collective obligation?
There are three opinions among the scholars regarding the festival prayer, one of which is: that it is a recommended practice; because the Bedouin asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when he informed him about the five daily prayers, saying: (Is there anything else required of me?He said: No, except for voluntary prayer) .
And some of them said: It is a collective obligation, and it is said to be one of the manifest symbols of Islam. For this reason, it is performed in congregation and in the open desert. And whatever is among the manifest symbols is a collective obligation, such as the call to prayer.
And some of them said: It is an individual obligation; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded it, even for menstruating women, women in their seclusion, and young girls. He commanded them to go out to the place of the festival prayer. This is the closest of the opinions, and it is the choice of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him), that it is an individual obligation. However, if it is missed, it is not made up.Meaning: If you arrive and the imam has already concluded the prayer, you do not make it up; because it is like the Friday prayer, which is not made up if it is missed. But for the Friday prayer, there is a substitute, which is the midday prayer; because in that time, prayer is necessary. As for the festival prayer, there is no report from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that it has a substitute.
There are three opinions among the scholars regarding the festival prayer, one of which is: that it is a recommended practice; because the Bedouin asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when he informed him about the five daily prayers, saying: (Is there anything else required of me?He said: No, except for voluntary prayer) .
And some of them said: It is a collective obligation, and it is said to be one of the manifest symbols of Islam. For this reason, it is performed in congregation and in the open desert. And whatever is among the manifest symbols is a collective obligation, such as the call to prayer.
And some of them said: It is an individual obligation; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded it, even for menstruating women, women in their seclusion, and young girls. He commanded them to go out to the place of the festival prayer. This is the closest of the opinions, and it is the choice of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him), that it is an individual obligation. However, if it is missed, it is not made up.Meaning: If you arrive and the imam has already concluded the prayer, you do not make it up; because it is like the Friday prayer, which is not made up if it is missed. But for the Friday prayer, there is a substitute, which is the midday prayer; because in that time, prayer is necessary. As for the festival prayer, there is no report from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that it has a substitute.