If the imam prays sitting down, should the congregation also pray sitting down?
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The questioner : If the imam is unable to stand, but we are able to stand.
The Shaykh : It is this.
The questioner : We pray sitting down with him.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner: It is obligatory.
The Shaykh : Here is the point, here is the pointSunan Ibn Majah 1238Sahih (Darussalam) First, it is absolutely necessary that we keep in our minds that this imam, even if he is from the imams of the end times, knows that standing is obligatory in the obligatory prayer. Therefore, it is inconceivable that he would sit down without an excuse, right? So when we hear this hadith, we need to visualize this first reality, which is This is the first unit, so before I tell you, Mr. Abu Aish, let them tell you.
The questioner : Abu Yasser.
The Shaykh : Abu Yasser, welcome. So when we mentioned the hadith, it is good that it immediately comes to our minds when he (peace be upon him) said meaning for a necessity, for a necessity, because it is inconceivable that the imam would pray in the obligatory prayer...
The student: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, finish it, finish it.
The student : How are you, my master?
The Shaykh : Finish it, finish it.
The student : Peace be upon you, all the best.
The Shaykh : Welcome, how are you?
The student : May you be well every year.
The Shaykh : Welcome.
The student: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh: And upon you peace.
The student : My observation, which was repeated according to the first observation.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is right.
The student : The one who greets everyone...
The Shaykh : Yes, that is right.
The student : I did this.
The Shaykh : Did you do it or not?
The student : I greeted you and told you... very good.
The Shaykh : You keep it covered, may Allah guide you.
The student : Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Welcome.
The student : Our group today was busy today...
The Shaykh : Whoever attended, good is in it. In any case, one does not pray sitting down except out of necessity. So this is a premise that must be settled in the mind.
The student : ... .
Another student: O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : You remember it, because if we think ill of him, we need to say he remembered it and you contradicted him, so which suspicion remains...
The student : The first one.
The Shaykh : The first one, he remembers the hadithMusannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 18:274.
The student : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Hmm.
The student : ... Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
The Shaykh : From the beginning, so that, yes, so that the one who attended last can grasp it. May Allah reward you with good. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan Ibn Majah 1238Sahih (Darussalam) The first observation I mentioned to you just now is We need to immediately keep in our minds that it is for a necessity, because in the obligatory prayer, it is not permissible for a person to pray sitting down. The second observation is If the imam is sick and sits instead of standing, and standing is obligatory, do we imagine that everyone else is also sick like him?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : No. So the hadith is correct in its indication, completely, that the healthy, strong person who is able to stand, if his imam is sick, prays sitting down. He must join him in sitting. Why? To realize the principle ofSahih al-Bukhari 1236, and the first wording we mentioned at the beginning of the session Sahih al-Bukhari 722 The imam is sitting and you are above him. And when we mention the occasion of the hadith, the wisdom and the legal purpose of this Islamic Shari'ah become clear to you. Sunan Ibn Majah 846Sahih (Darussalam) What is the reason? Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family): in his shoulder, and the time for the midday prayer came, so he was unable to pray standing, so he prayed sitting, and the people were standing around him. And this is their duty, applying the command of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in the Qur'an: [Al-Baqarah 2:238], so either he (peace be upon him) saw the row to his right and left standing, or he saw them because it was one of his miracles (peace be upon him), he said: .
The student : There is no god but Allah.
The Shaykh : This is a miracle for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) that was not for anyone before him and was not for anyone after him. So when he saw them standing while he was sitting, he indicated to them in the prayer to sit down.
The Shaykh : It is this.
The questioner : We pray sitting down with him.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner: It is obligatory.
The Shaykh : Here is the point, here is the point
The Imam is appointed to be followed. When he says Allahu Akbar, then say Allahu Akbar; when he bows, then bow; when he says Sami’ Allahu liman hamidah, then say Rabbana wa lakal-hamd; when he prostrates then prostrate; and if he prays sitting down then pray sitting down.
إنما جُعِلَ الإمام لِيُؤتَمَّ به ؛ فإذا كبَّرَ فكبِّروا ، وإذا ركع فاركعوا ، وإذا قال : سمع الله لِمَن حَمِدَه ؛ فقولوا : ربَّنا ولك الحمد ، وإذا صلى قائمًا فصلوا قيامًا ، وإذا صلَّى جالسًا فصلُّوا جلوسًا أجمعينAnd when he prays sitting
وإذا صلَّى جالسًاThe questioner : Abu Yasser.
The Shaykh : Abu Yasser, welcome. So when we mentioned the hadith, it is good that it immediately comes to our minds when he (peace be upon him) said
And when he prays sitting
وإذا صلَّى جالسًاThe student: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, finish it, finish it.
The student : How are you, my master?
The Shaykh : Finish it, finish it.
The student : Peace be upon you, all the best.
The Shaykh : Welcome, how are you?
The student : May you be well every year.
The Shaykh : Welcome.
The student: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh: And upon you peace.
The student : My observation, which was repeated according to the first observation.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is right.
The student : The one who greets everyone...
The Shaykh : Yes, that is right.
The student : I did this.
The Shaykh : Did you do it or not?
The student : I greeted you and told you... very good.
The Shaykh : You keep it covered, may Allah guide you.
The student : Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Welcome.
The student : Our group today was busy today...
The Shaykh : Whoever attended, good is in it. In any case, one does not pray sitting down except out of necessity. So this is a premise that must be settled in the mind.
The student : ... .
Another student: O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : You remember it, because if we think ill of him, we need to say he remembered it and you contradicted him, so which suspicion remains...
The student : The first one.
The Shaykh : The first one, he remembers the hadith
A man does not rise... from his place
لا يقوم الرجل ... من مجلسهThe student : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Hmm.
The student : ... Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
The Shaykh : From the beginning, so that, yes, so that the one who attended last can grasp it. May Allah reward you with good. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
The Imam is appointed to be followed. When he says Allahu Akbar, then say Allahu Akbar; when he bows, then bow; when he says Sami’ Allahu liman hamidah, then say Rabbana wa lakal-hamd; when he prostrates then prostrate; and if he prays sitting down then pray sitting down.
إنما جُعِلَ الإمام لِيُؤتَمَّ به ؛ فإذا كبَّرَ فكبِّروا ، وإذا ركع فاركعوا ، وإذا قال : سمع الله لِمَن حَمِدَه ؛ فقولوا : ربَّنا ولك الحمد ، وإذا صلى قائمًا فصلوا قيامًا ، وإذا صلَّى جالسًا فصلُّوا جلوسًا أجمعينAnd when he prays sitting
وإذا صلى جالسًاYou all pray sitting
فصلُّوا جلوسًا أجمعينThe student: No.
The Shaykh : No. So the hadith is correct in its indication, completely, that the healthy, strong person who is able to stand, if his imam is sick, prays sitting down. He must join him in sitting. Why? To realize the principle of
The Imam is to be followed
إنما جُعِلَ الإمام لِيُؤتَمَّ بهThe Imam is (appointed) to be followed. So do not differ from him
إنما جُعِلَ الإمام لِيُؤتَمَّ به ؛ فلا تختلفوا عليهand if he prays sitting down then all of you pray sitting down.
إذا صلَّى جالسًا فصلُّوا جلوسًا أجمعينOne day his mount reared up, and he fell to the ground, sustaining an injury to his leg.
جحشت به دابته يومًا ، فوقع على الأرض ، فأصيب في إقحرهand stand before Allah, devoutly obedient.
وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَI have been changed, so do not precede me in bowing and prostrating; for I see you from behind me just as I see you from in front of me.
إنِّي قد بدلت فلا تسبقوني بالركوع والسجود ؛ فإنِّي أراكم من خلفي كما أراكم من أماميThe student : There is no god but Allah.
The Shaykh : This is a miracle for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) that was not for anyone before him and was not for anyone after him. So when he saw them standing while he was sitting, he indicated to them in the prayer to sit down.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.