The Ruling on Praying Behind the Rows Alone
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O Shaykh! Regarding a man who enters the mosque and finds the rows approximately full, is it not required of him to start a new row until he exerts effort? And is it considered exertion if he finds a gap to enter and line up to the right of the imam or from the side of the door that is near the pulpit, or does he start a row?
If he finds the row complete, he prays alone and there is no blame on him, and there is no need to line up with the imam.Even lining up with the imam, we may say: It is a religious innovation; because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not have anyone pray with him in his leadership except when he came and found Abu Bakr praying with the people while he (Abu Bakr) was ill, (peace and blessings be upon him), ill, then he came and stood to the left of Abu Bakr and began to lead the people in prayer, and Abu Bakr was conveying the takbir for him, and otherwise, there is no report of this.
Also, the imam must be a specific imam for his place.Then if we say: He broke through the row and stood with the imam, for breaking through the row causes harm. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the man who was breaking through the rows on Friday: (Sit down, for you have caused harm) Then if we say: we tolerate this and line up with the imam, and another person comes after this one has entered with the imam and finds the row complete and we say: Go and line up with the imam.
So he went with the imam, and they became three with the imam.So another person comes and finds the row complete, we say: He moves forward and lines up with the imam, perhaps the first row will be completely full with the imam, but if he enters the prayer in his place and then the second, third, and fourth come, they will form a later row.
So what we see: That he prays alone because it is difficult to find a suitable place.
Then I say: Do you know the disagreement of the scholars in this issue?All three schools: Malik, al-Shafi'i, and Abu Hanifah, all of them hold the permissibility of praying behind the row without an excuse.And Imam Ahmad has two narrations from him regarding that: A narration: that it is valid to pray behind the row without an excuse, so the schools of the Muslim community, according to the second narration, along with Imam Ahmad, are all on the validity of the prayer without an excuse. There is no scholarly consensus in this issue, nor is it the majority opinion.
But the truth is more deserving to be followed.The hadith indicates: That whoever prays behind the row without an excuse must repeat the prayer; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw a man praying behind the row and ordered him to repeat the prayer.
As for when it is difficult to stand in the row, then all obligatory acts are dropped due to the excuse.And this, either we say: Pray alone following your imam, or leave and do not pray. Which is better? That he prays with him alone is better than that he leaves and does not pray.
So the correct opinion, which the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) chose,And our Shaykh Abd al-Rahman al-Sa'di: Is that if the row is complete, you may pray alone behind the row.
O Shaykh! Regarding a man who enters the mosque and finds the rows approximately full, is it not required of him to start a new row until he exerts effort? And is it considered exertion if he finds a gap to enter and line up to the right of the imam or from the side of the door that is near the pulpit, or does he start a row?
If he finds the row complete, he prays alone and there is no blame on him, and there is no need to line up with the imam.Even lining up with the imam, we may say: It is a religious innovation; because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not have anyone pray with him in his leadership except when he came and found Abu Bakr praying with the people while he (Abu Bakr) was ill, (peace and blessings be upon him), ill, then he came and stood to the left of Abu Bakr and began to lead the people in prayer, and Abu Bakr was conveying the takbir for him, and otherwise, there is no report of this.
Also, the imam must be a specific imam for his place.Then if we say: He broke through the row and stood with the imam, for breaking through the row causes harm. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the man who was breaking through the rows on Friday: (Sit down, for you have caused harm) Then if we say: we tolerate this and line up with the imam, and another person comes after this one has entered with the imam and finds the row complete and we say: Go and line up with the imam.
So he went with the imam, and they became three with the imam.So another person comes and finds the row complete, we say: He moves forward and lines up with the imam, perhaps the first row will be completely full with the imam, but if he enters the prayer in his place and then the second, third, and fourth come, they will form a later row.
So what we see: That he prays alone because it is difficult to find a suitable place.
Then I say: Do you know the disagreement of the scholars in this issue?All three schools: Malik, al-Shafi'i, and Abu Hanifah, all of them hold the permissibility of praying behind the row without an excuse.And Imam Ahmad has two narrations from him regarding that: A narration: that it is valid to pray behind the row without an excuse, so the schools of the Muslim community, according to the second narration, along with Imam Ahmad, are all on the validity of the prayer without an excuse. There is no scholarly consensus in this issue, nor is it the majority opinion.
But the truth is more deserving to be followed.The hadith indicates: That whoever prays behind the row without an excuse must repeat the prayer; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw a man praying behind the row and ordered him to repeat the prayer.
As for when it is difficult to stand in the row, then all obligatory acts are dropped due to the excuse.And this, either we say: Pray alone following your imam, or leave and do not pray. Which is better? That he prays with him alone is better than that he leaves and does not pray.
So the correct opinion, which the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) chose,And our Shaykh Abd al-Rahman al-Sa'di: Is that if the row is complete, you may pray alone behind the row.