The Shaykh mentioned the hadith of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that Muslim narrated: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed the midday prayer with them while sitting.”
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The Shaykh : And indeed, it came in the authentic hadith that Imam Muslim narrated from the hadith of Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) one day prayed the midday prayer with them while sitting. So his Companions prayed behind him while standing. He gestured to them during his prayer to sit, so they sat. And when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) finished the prayer, he said to them: The point of this hadith is that it is the custom of nations that some take from others and that some imitate others. The weak only take from the strong, and the weak only imitate the strong, just as is our reality today exactly. Despite our religion and our Islam, because of our distance from our Islam, we have become a weak nation that imitates the strong in material matters, as if they were strong in religion, in creed, and in character.
We have become imitators of them because we look at them with reverence, respect, and magnification. This is the custom of nations: the weak with the strong, and the lowly with the great.
You were on the verge of doing what the Persians did with their great ones, standing on the heads of their kings. The imam is only made to be followed. So when he says takbir, say takbir; when he bows, bow; when he prostrates, prostrate; when he prays standing, pray standing; and when he prays sitting, pray sitting, all of you.
إن كدتم لتفعلن أنفا فعل فارس بعظمائها يقومون على رؤوس ملوكهم إنما جعل الإمام ليؤتم به فإذا كبر فكبروا وإذا ركع فاركعوا وإذا سجد فاسجدوا وإذا صلى قائما فصلوا قياما وإذا صلى جالسا فصلوا جلوسا أجمعينWe have become imitators of them because we look at them with reverence, respect, and magnification. This is the custom of nations: the weak with the strong, and the lowly with the great.