Some of the praying brothers leave the front rows in order to get closer to the place of the lesson, and some leave the tarawih prayer and pray the night prayer in its place
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The questioner : Some of the praying brothers leave the front rows in order to get closer to the place of the lesson, and some leave the tarawih prayer and pray the night prayer in its place, on the grounds that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not exceed eleven rak'ahs.
So what is better: praying tarawih with the night prayer, or the night prayer without tarawih? Or tarawih without the night prayer?
And what is better: the front rows or getting closer to the place of the lesson? Guide us, may Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : If it is possible to combine being in the front row and benefiting from the lesson, then there is no doubt that maintaining the front row is more important, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the Companions:.
As for if it is not possible to combine them, then there is no doubt that seeking knowledge is better than praying the voluntary prayer, because seeking knowledge, as we have mentioned, is from the struggle in the path of Allah, and among the best of deeds.
So if a person misses the knowledge, then maintaining the knowledge is more important, because Islamic jurisprudence is among the most important things for a believer to learn, strive for, and persevere in.
However, one might say: Does the knowledge not get missed because of what? The recordings, meaning a person can line up in the front row, and if he misses being close to the teacher, he can make up for it by buying a tape to listen to.
So this last point necessitates that we say: maintaining the front row is more important in all cases.
The rest of the question is about the night prayer and tarawih, and maintaining eleven rak'ahs or following the imam.
What I see is that a person should maintain both tarawih and the night prayer.
So he prays with the first imam until he finishes, and prays with the second imam until he finishes, because having multiple imams in one place makes it as if the two imams are one imam.
But one of them stands in for the other in the last prayer, or stands in for the first in the last prayer.
So what I see in this issue is that a person should maintain praying with the first and the second, so that the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) includes him:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 806Sahih (Darussalam).
But you might say: If I maintain with both imams, how many times will I pray witr? Twice.
We say: This prohibition is removed by intending with the first imam, when he stands for witr, that you intend to complete the prayer with two rak'ahs. So when he finishes his witr, you stand and complete the second rak'ah, and you make the witr with the last imam. So a person makes the prayer even with the first imam and odd with the second, by the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 751b.
Yes. As for his saying that the sunnah is eleven rak'ahs.
We say: Yes, if you pray alone, the sunnah is not to exceed eleven rak'ahs, or if you are an imam, the sunnah is not to exceed eleven rak'ahs.
But if you are a follower following someone else, then pray as this imam prays, even if he prays twenty-three or thirty-three or thirty-nine.
This is the best and what conforms to the Shari'ah, because the Shari'ah encourages the unity of the Muslim community and its agreement, and not its discord and difference.
So what is better: praying tarawih with the night prayer, or the night prayer without tarawih? Or tarawih without the night prayer?
And what is better: the front rows or getting closer to the place of the lesson? Guide us, may Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : If it is possible to combine being in the front row and benefiting from the lesson, then there is no doubt that maintaining the front row is more important, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the Companions:
Do you not line up as the angels line up before their Lord? They said: How do we line up, O Messenger of Allah? He said: They stand close together and complete the front rows, one after the other.
ألا تصفون كما تصف الملائكة عند ربها، قالوا: كيف تصف يارسول الله؟ قال : يتراصون ويكملون الأول فالأولAs for if it is not possible to combine them, then there is no doubt that seeking knowledge is better than praying the voluntary prayer, because seeking knowledge, as we have mentioned, is from the struggle in the path of Allah, and among the best of deeds.
So if a person misses the knowledge, then maintaining the knowledge is more important, because Islamic jurisprudence is among the most important things for a believer to learn, strive for, and persevere in.
However, one might say: Does the knowledge not get missed because of what? The recordings, meaning a person can line up in the front row, and if he misses being close to the teacher, he can make up for it by buying a tape to listen to.
So this last point necessitates that we say: maintaining the front row is more important in all cases.
The rest of the question is about the night prayer and tarawih, and maintaining eleven rak'ahs or following the imam.
What I see is that a person should maintain both tarawih and the night prayer.
So he prays with the first imam until he finishes, and prays with the second imam until he finishes, because having multiple imams in one place makes it as if the two imams are one imam.
But one of them stands in for the other in the last prayer, or stands in for the first in the last prayer.
So what I see in this issue is that a person should maintain praying with the first and the second, so that the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) includes him:
Indeed, whoever stands (praying) with the Imam until he finished, then it is recorded for him that he prayed the whole night.
من قام مع الإمام حتى ينصرف كتب له قيام ليلةBut you might say: If I maintain with both imams, how many times will I pray witr? Twice.
We say: This prohibition is removed by intending with the first imam, when he stands for witr, that you intend to complete the prayer with two rak'ahs. So when he finishes his witr, you stand and complete the second rak'ah, and you make the witr with the last imam. So a person makes the prayer even with the first imam and odd with the second, by the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Make Witr the end of your night prayer.
اجعلوا آخر صلاتكم بالليل وتراYes. As for his saying that the sunnah is eleven rak'ahs.
We say: Yes, if you pray alone, the sunnah is not to exceed eleven rak'ahs, or if you are an imam, the sunnah is not to exceed eleven rak'ahs.
But if you are a follower following someone else, then pray as this imam prays, even if he prays twenty-three or thirty-three or thirty-nine.
This is the best and what conforms to the Shari'ah, because the Shari'ah encourages the unity of the Muslim community and its agreement, and not its discord and difference.