What is your advice for a regular mosque imam with whom we are unable to pray the regular Fajr prayer in the month of Ramadan except rarely?

The questioner : He says: Noble Shaykh, what is your advice for a regular mosque imam with whom we are unable to pray the regular Fajr prayer in the month of Ramadan except rarely? Most of the congregation pray the regular Fajr prayer after the obligatory prayer, as he does not wait more than about five minutes after the adhan, and he shortens the recitation in the prayer. We advised him, and he said: "This is the desire of the congregation." Is he in error for causing the followers to miss the length of the prayer and the Fajr sunnah, or are these sunnahs in which he bears no blame?

The Shaykh : What I see is that it is obligatory for him to observe the Shari'ah rather than observing the people. The people do not benefit anyone nor harm him. Do the Shari'ah, and the One who legislated it, Allah (Mighty and Majestic), will be pleased with you. And if Allah is pleased with you, He will make the people pleased with you. First: the fact that he establishes the prayer five minutes after the Fajr adhan is dangerous, because many of the brothers have gone out and seen the dawn, and they saw that the timing in the calendar advances ahead of the dawn. This is very dangerous, and the matter of prayer is more important than fasting. Second: Fajr has a sunnah before it, and if he hastens to the iqamah, the entire congregation or most of them miss this pre-prayer sunnah, about which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Which world? The world from its beginning to its end, with its kings, its leaders, and its decorations. And yes, yes, my brothers, yes, yes, meaning: if you pray the regular Fajr sunnah, it is as if you have obtained the entire world from its beginning to its end, rather, you have obtained something better than it . So my advice to my brother the imam is: to be a little patient. First: out of consideration for the Fajr, because of the danger in it, because if you say: Allahu Akbar before the dawn rises - just the takbir of intention - your prayer is not valid. The prayer must be from its beginning to its end within the time. This is one. Second: give them a respite for whoever wants to pray the regular sunnah. Third: regarding easing the prayer, it is contrary to the guidance of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in Fajr. The guidance of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in Fajr was to recite from the long surahs of the final part of the Qur'an, and the long surahs of the final part are from Qaf to 'Amma, yes.