What is the ruling on one who differs from his imam regarding the sitting for rest, if his imam does not perform it?
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The questioner : ... in the prayer, in one of the postures of the prayer, meaning applying the hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 6008, or . There is a slight point of disagreement regarding the sitting for rest. We see many of our brothers, and I am one of them, who do not adhere to the imam if he sits or does not sit. So, for example, I sit for the sitting for rest and do not care. What is the status of this prayer in light of the hadith, ?
The Shaykh : Here, the issue requires detail. First, are you aware and knowing that the imam does not sit for the sitting for rest, or not? If you do not know, there is no problem. If you do know, Ibn Taymiyyah has an opinion that says: there is no harm in sitting for the sitting for rest, because it is a light sitting that does not conflict with following the imam. As for my personal opinion, it is to follow the imam throughout for the one who remembers. Ibn Taymiyyah holds that one should perform this sitting even if the imam does not, because it does not deviate from the imam significantly. So he looks at the issue from another angle, different from the angle ofSahih al-Bukhari 1236... Clear.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : But the generality of this hadith obligates us to follow the imam, except in the case where we say: if it is possible that the imam has become aware of the Sunnah, but he is stubborn and does not heed the Sunnah, and instead he heeds the people, then he has no sanctity, and he is to be contradicted. This is because we say that we follow the imam in what he contradicts of the Sunnah out of respect for the imam whom he follows or imitates. We imagine that if we were praying behind Abu Hanifah, he does not hold the raising of the hands at the bowing and the rising from it, so we do not do that. And so, by analogy, for all the issues in which there is disagreement, those who follow Abu Hanifah, and the Sunnah was not established for them, despite the difference in what Abu Hanifah held, we treat him as the imam himself. So if it is established for us that the person is stubborn, and that he turns away from the Sunnah although it has become clear to him, then here you contradict him and do not care about him at all.
The Shaykh : Is there anything else?
offer your prayers in the way you saw me offering my prayers
صلوا كما رأيتموني أصليAnd the imam was not appointed except to be followed.
وما جُعل الإمام إلا ليؤتم بهThe imam was only appointed to be followed.
إنما جُل الإمام ليؤتم بهThe Shaykh : Here, the issue requires detail. First, are you aware and knowing that the imam does not sit for the sitting for rest, or not? If you do not know, there is no problem. If you do know, Ibn Taymiyyah has an opinion that says: there is no harm in sitting for the sitting for rest, because it is a light sitting that does not conflict with following the imam. As for my personal opinion, it is to follow the imam throughout for the one who remembers. Ibn Taymiyyah holds that one should perform this sitting even if the imam does not, because it does not deviate from the imam significantly. So he looks at the issue from another angle, different from the angle of
The Imam is to be followed
إنما جُعل الإمام ليؤتم بهThe questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : But the generality of this hadith obligates us to follow the imam, except in the case where we say: if it is possible that the imam has become aware of the Sunnah, but he is stubborn and does not heed the Sunnah, and instead he heeds the people, then he has no sanctity, and he is to be contradicted. This is because we say that we follow the imam in what he contradicts of the Sunnah out of respect for the imam whom he follows or imitates. We imagine that if we were praying behind Abu Hanifah, he does not hold the raising of the hands at the bowing and the rising from it, so we do not do that. And so, by analogy, for all the issues in which there is disagreement, those who follow Abu Hanifah, and the Sunnah was not established for them, despite the difference in what Abu Hanifah held, we treat him as the imam himself. So if it is established for us that the person is stubborn, and that he turns away from the Sunnah although it has become clear to him, then here you contradict him and do not care about him at all.
The Shaykh : Is there anything else?
Source
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