The Shaykh’s note on the ruling regarding the sitting for rest.
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The Shaykh : The fundamental issue in this matter is whether it is prescribed for the one praying to sit when he stands up for the second unit or when he stands up for the fourth unit, or whether he should not sit at all?
In this matter, the scholars have three opinions:
The well-known opinion in the school of Imam Ahmad is that he does not sit at all.
The well-known opinion in the school of al-Shafi'i is the opposite, that he sits in every case.
Some scholars took a middle position in this matter, such as al-Muqaddim in al-Mughni, who said: "If the need calls for this sitting, he sits; otherwise, he does not."
So how many opinions are there, then?
Three: he sits at all times, he does not sit at all times, and he sits if the need calls for it.
In my view, this detailed opinion is the closest, closer than the absolute negation or the absolute affirmation.
And with that, this preference in my view is not a strong preference, but it is closer than the last two opinions, the opinion of absolute negation or absolute affirmation.
And what indicates this is that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), when he stood up, would support himself, and the usual case is that supporting oneself does not occur except when there is a need and difficulty in rising.
Therefore, this middle opinion is the closest of the three opinions in my view, and knowledge is with Allah (Mighty and Majestic), but a person should speak to the extent of his ability.
And the thing I want to say in this regard is: it is not befitting for us, when we see someone who sits, to rebuke him, and when we see someone who does not sit, to rebuke him.
Because some people, when they see someone who does not sit, rebuke him and say: "You are contradicting the Sunnah."
And another, when he sees someone who sits, rebukes him and says: "You are adding to your prayer."
And what is befitting for us, as long as the texts are not explicit in this matter, is that we do not rebuke one another, as we mentioned at the beginning of the discussion.
Also, another thing in this matter is that those who sit and consider the sitting a recommended practice, if they pray alone or lead the prayer, the matter in this is clear.
But if they pray behind the imam and the imam does not sit,
what is the Sunnah for them?
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah says: "The Sunnah is to leave off the sitting in order to realize the following of the imam" — pay attention, my son — in order to realize the following of the imam, for one of the completions of following is that you hasten to move after your imam, by the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):.
The condition and the conditioned, I think, are consecutive, or not?
Yes. When the condition comes, the conditioned follows it.
So what is prescribed for the one praying behind the imam is to hasten to follow his imam,
and therefore, if the imam does not sit, do not sit; stand up with him.
Just as, if the imam sits and you do not consider the sitting recommended, what is prescribed for you is to sit in order to follow the imam.
It remains that someone might say: If you encourage following the imam to this extent, what is your opinion if the imam does not consider raising the hands at the bowing or at rising from it, or at standing up from the first tashahhud?
Do you tell the one praying behind the imam not to raise his hands?
And what is your opinion if the imam considers raising the hands and the one praying behind him does not consider raising the hands? Do you tell the one praying behind the imam to raise his hands?
Is the scenario clear or not?
The students: Yes.
The Shaykh : Clear? Is the question clear? Good.
This is a man praying behind the imam, and the imam does not consider raising the hands in the takbir except in the takbir of ihram only, and does not consider raising the hands at the bowing or at rising from it, or at standing up from the first tashahhud.
So do we tell the one praying behind the imam: One of the completions of following is that you do not raise your hands at the bowing, nor at rising from it, nor at standing up from the first tashahhud.
Someone might say: Yes.
And another might say: No.
And the correct view is with the one who says: No.
Why? Because if I raise my hands and he did not raise them, am I contradicting him?
I did not lag behind in reality.
I am now following him; he bowed and I bowed, he prostrated and I prostrated, he stood up and I stood up, and no contradiction occurred from me. The most that is there is that I differed from him in an action that is not considered a contradiction, as evidenced by the fact that if the imam considers the prescribed sitting in the tashahhud to be tawruk at all times,
and you do not consider tawruk except in the final tashahhud in the three-unit and four-unit prayers, do you agree with him?
We say: You are not obligated to agree with him.
And the opposite is the opposite: if he considers iftirash in all the sittings, and you do tawruk in the final tashahhud in the three-unit and four-unit prayers, we say: You have the right to do tawruk, and this is not a contradiction, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 414a. — may Allah have mercy on you — so he clarified the difference regarding him.
I hope, my brothers, that you pay attention to such precise matters that may be hidden from some people.
In this matter, the scholars have three opinions:
The well-known opinion in the school of Imam Ahmad is that he does not sit at all.
The well-known opinion in the school of al-Shafi'i is the opposite, that he sits in every case.
Some scholars took a middle position in this matter, such as al-Muqaddim in al-Mughni, who said: "If the need calls for this sitting, he sits; otherwise, he does not."
So how many opinions are there, then?
Three: he sits at all times, he does not sit at all times, and he sits if the need calls for it.
In my view, this detailed opinion is the closest, closer than the absolute negation or the absolute affirmation.
And with that, this preference in my view is not a strong preference, but it is closer than the last two opinions, the opinion of absolute negation or absolute affirmation.
And what indicates this is that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), when he stood up, would support himself, and the usual case is that supporting oneself does not occur except when there is a need and difficulty in rising.
Therefore, this middle opinion is the closest of the three opinions in my view, and knowledge is with Allah (Mighty and Majestic), but a person should speak to the extent of his ability.
And the thing I want to say in this regard is: it is not befitting for us, when we see someone who sits, to rebuke him, and when we see someone who does not sit, to rebuke him.
Because some people, when they see someone who does not sit, rebuke him and say: "You are contradicting the Sunnah."
And another, when he sees someone who sits, rebukes him and says: "You are adding to your prayer."
And what is befitting for us, as long as the texts are not explicit in this matter, is that we do not rebuke one another, as we mentioned at the beginning of the discussion.
Also, another thing in this matter is that those who sit and consider the sitting a recommended practice, if they pray alone or lead the prayer, the matter in this is clear.
But if they pray behind the imam and the imam does not sit,
what is the Sunnah for them?
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah says: "The Sunnah is to leave off the sitting in order to realize the following of the imam" — pay attention, my son — in order to realize the following of the imam, for one of the completions of following is that you hasten to move after your imam, by the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
When he says the takbir, say the takbir; when he bows, bow; when he prostrates, prostrate.
إذا كبر فكبر ، إذا ركع فاركعوا، إذا سجد فاسجدواThe condition and the conditioned, I think, are consecutive, or not?
Yes. When the condition comes, the conditioned follows it.
So what is prescribed for the one praying behind the imam is to hasten to follow his imam,
and therefore, if the imam does not sit, do not sit; stand up with him.
Just as, if the imam sits and you do not consider the sitting recommended, what is prescribed for you is to sit in order to follow the imam.
It remains that someone might say: If you encourage following the imam to this extent, what is your opinion if the imam does not consider raising the hands at the bowing or at rising from it, or at standing up from the first tashahhud?
Do you tell the one praying behind the imam not to raise his hands?
And what is your opinion if the imam considers raising the hands and the one praying behind him does not consider raising the hands? Do you tell the one praying behind the imam to raise his hands?
Is the scenario clear or not?
The students: Yes.
The Shaykh : Clear? Is the question clear? Good.
This is a man praying behind the imam, and the imam does not consider raising the hands in the takbir except in the takbir of ihram only, and does not consider raising the hands at the bowing or at rising from it, or at standing up from the first tashahhud.
So do we tell the one praying behind the imam: One of the completions of following is that you do not raise your hands at the bowing, nor at rising from it, nor at standing up from the first tashahhud.
Someone might say: Yes.
And another might say: No.
And the correct view is with the one who says: No.
Why? Because if I raise my hands and he did not raise them, am I contradicting him?
I did not lag behind in reality.
I am now following him; he bowed and I bowed, he prostrated and I prostrated, he stood up and I stood up, and no contradiction occurred from me. The most that is there is that I differed from him in an action that is not considered a contradiction, as evidenced by the fact that if the imam considers the prescribed sitting in the tashahhud to be tawruk at all times,
and you do not consider tawruk except in the final tashahhud in the three-unit and four-unit prayers, do you agree with him?
We say: You are not obligated to agree with him.
And the opposite is the opposite: if he considers iftirash in all the sittings, and you do tawruk in the final tashahhud in the three-unit and four-unit prayers, we say: You have the right to do tawruk, and this is not a contradiction, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
so don't be at variance with him. Recite takbir when he recites it
لاتختلفوا عليه، فإذا كبر فكبرواI hope, my brothers, that you pay attention to such precise matters that may be hidden from some people.