The Scholars' Statements on the Prayer of a Person Standing Alone Behind the Rows
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Is the prayer of a person standing alone behind the rows permissible if there is a gap on the right or on the left, or if there are two people? Please explain this issue to us. May Allah raise your status and reward you with good.
This issue has three opinions from the scholars: The first opinion: that his prayer is deficient but not invalid, whether the row is complete or not.And this is the madhhab of the three Imams: This is the view of Malik, al-Shafi'i, Abu Hanifah, and a narration from Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal.And they interpret his saying: (There is no prayer for a person alone behind the rows) meaning: there is no complete prayer, as in his saying: (There is no prayer in the presence of food).
The second opinion: That the prayer of a person alone behind the rows is not valid in any case, whether the row before him is complete or not. This is the well-known view among the followers of Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on them).
The third view: the middle,He says: If the rows are complete, he may pray alone behind the row; otherwise, he may not. They cite as evidence for this the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when he saw a man praying alone behind the row, so he ordered him to repeat the prayer.And they said regarding his excuse: If the row is complete,That Allah the Exalted said in the Noble Book: [al-Taghabun: 16], and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) validated the prayer of a woman behind the row because she has no place in the row by Shari'ah. The one who finds the row complete has no place in the row in reality and fact. Physical impossibility is like legal impossibility. And this is what I said lastly, which is the correct view, and it is the choice of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and the choice of our Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Sa'di (may Allah have mercy on him).
Some people said: He pulls a person from the row to be with him.
This is an error; because this is a transgression against the one praying in the row, and a cause for the row to be broken. (Whoever breaks a row, Allah will break him), and it is also a cause of disturbance to the one pulled, and a cause for the movement of the entire row; because the row will move so that some of them come closer to others. So there are transgressions in it.
And some of them said: He moves forward to be with the imam.
This is an error; because the Shari'ah wants the imam to be alone, with no one with him; so that the observer does not think that this group has two imams.
Then if we say: He moves forward with the imam. If there are rows between him and the imam, that leads to stepping over necks. Then if he moves forward with the imam and another person comes and does not find a place, we say: Move forward, perhaps the row with the imam will be completed. But if this person remains praying alone behind the row and another person comes, they become a row.
In any case, the stronger opinion without doubt: That if the row is complete, he prays alone with the congregation.
This issue has three opinions from the scholars: The first opinion: that his prayer is deficient but not invalid, whether the row is complete or not.And this is the madhhab of the three Imams: This is the view of Malik, al-Shafi'i, Abu Hanifah, and a narration from Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal.And they interpret his saying: (There is no prayer for a person alone behind the rows) meaning: there is no complete prayer, as in his saying: (There is no prayer in the presence of food).
The second opinion: That the prayer of a person alone behind the rows is not valid in any case, whether the row before him is complete or not. This is the well-known view among the followers of Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on them).
The third view: the middle,He says: If the rows are complete, he may pray alone behind the row; otherwise, he may not. They cite as evidence for this the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when he saw a man praying alone behind the row, so he ordered him to repeat the prayer.And they said regarding his excuse: If the row is complete,That Allah the Exalted said in the Noble Book:
So fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْSome people said: He pulls a person from the row to be with him.
This is an error; because this is a transgression against the one praying in the row, and a cause for the row to be broken. (Whoever breaks a row, Allah will break him), and it is also a cause of disturbance to the one pulled, and a cause for the movement of the entire row; because the row will move so that some of them come closer to others. So there are transgressions in it.
And some of them said: He moves forward to be with the imam.
This is an error; because the Shari'ah wants the imam to be alone, with no one with him; so that the observer does not think that this group has two imams.
Then if we say: He moves forward with the imam. If there are rows between him and the imam, that leads to stepping over necks. Then if he moves forward with the imam and another person comes and does not find a place, we say: Move forward, perhaps the row with the imam will be completed. But if this person remains praying alone behind the row and another person comes, they become a row.
In any case, the stronger opinion without doubt: That if the row is complete, he prays alone with the congregation.