If a man enters the mosque and finds the imam praying and a man following him, how does he join them in the prayer?
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The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : ... the congregation?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : ... the mosque where only two men are praying, you say, okay; that is another matter, my brother. You are being told a matter, is it this one or another? Say: this is it, this is another matter. The previous matter involved rows. Now you are asking, and I think I understood your question: that two men are praying in the mosque, the imam and next to him a follower, and a third man enters? Is this not the question? The answer to this is in the Sunnah: this man, if he is a jurist, stands behind the imam. If he is unaware or ignorant, he stands to the left of the imam. If the imam is a jurist, he follows the Sunnah, arranges them like this, and places them behind him. If he is like them, they all contradict the Sunnah and pray like this in a single row.
Another questioner : The Shaykh :
The Shaykh : Yes?
Another questioner : ... and Allah knows best that the brother intends another congregation in the mosque, not the imam.
The Shaykh : No, you must not impose, my brother, your opinions onThe questioner : , you asked and received the answer. This is the question and that is the answer, did you understand?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : No, there is no pulling here. Here, as we said, the imam has a praying man next to him on his right. The second man enters, and the third stands behind the imam so that the imam does not have to make many movements. So when this third man follows the one before him, he stands behind the imam. Whoever is to the right of the imam should either notice this and move back in his turn, and they line up behind the imam. It is as if he notices, and it is good for the one who entered to alert him so he joins him. So here, perhaps in your mind, it is like what we observe in the connection between the image and there, but there is a very big difference. Here it is for correction, there it is for corruption. Here, correction, we achieved a row behind the imam with two men. There, in the way of two men... a row, we created a gap in the row next to us. So the image you are asking about differs from the previous image.
The Shaykh : ... the congregation?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : ... the mosque where only two men are praying, you say, okay; that is another matter, my brother. You are being told a matter, is it this one or another? Say: this is it, this is another matter. The previous matter involved rows. Now you are asking, and I think I understood your question: that two men are praying in the mosque, the imam and next to him a follower, and a third man enters? Is this not the question? The answer to this is in the Sunnah: this man, if he is a jurist, stands behind the imam. If he is unaware or ignorant, he stands to the left of the imam. If the imam is a jurist, he follows the Sunnah, arranges them like this, and places them behind him. If he is like them, they all contradict the Sunnah and pray like this in a single row.
Another questioner : The Shaykh :
The Shaykh : Yes?
Another questioner : ... and Allah knows best that the brother intends another congregation in the mosque, not the imam.
The Shaykh : No, you must not impose, my brother, your opinions onThe questioner : , you asked and received the answer. This is the question and that is the answer, did you understand?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : No, there is no pulling here. Here, as we said, the imam has a praying man next to him on his right. The second man enters, and the third stands behind the imam so that the imam does not have to make many movements. So when this third man follows the one before him, he stands behind the imam. Whoever is to the right of the imam should either notice this and move back in his turn, and they line up behind the imam. It is as if he notices, and it is good for the one who entered to alert him so he joins him. So here, perhaps in your mind, it is like what we observe in the connection between the image and there, but there is a very big difference. Here it is for correction, there it is for corruption. Here, correction, we achieved a row behind the imam with two men. There, in the way of two men... a row, we created a gap in the row next to us. So the image you are asking about differs from the previous image.
Source
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