Explanation of the rule: (Any text that contains many parts, some of which are broader than the text itself, and upon which the practice of the Salaf did not proceed, is not permissible to act upon).
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Your statement, may Allah bless you: Any general text that contains many parts, upon which the practice of acting on one of its parts is not established, is not prescribed to act upon unless a text is transmitted. For example?
The Shaykh : For example, congregational prayer in voluntary prayers. Is congregational prayer in the regular voluntary prayers (rawatib) in the mosque prescribed? I mean, we enter to pray the midday prayer now, and we want to pray the pre-midday voluntary prayer. Is it prescribed to pray it in congregation?
The questioner : The Sunnah?
The Shaykh : I am speaking about the pre-midday voluntary prayer.
The questioner : He prays it in congregation! I have no knowledge of that.
The Shaykh : How can you say you have no knowledge when you are living in the mosque?
The questioner : I mean, I cannot say yes, perhaps there is evidence or
The Shaykh : How can there be evidence when all the Muslims are praying individually?
The questioner : That is not what I mean.
The Shaykh : The infection has come from your companion. I ask him from here, and he tells me from there.
The questioner : I mean, what is it? I have no knowledge and no evidence!
The Shaykh : There is a difference between you and him, but the infection transfers. Congregational prayer in the regular voluntary prayers, as you see, the Muslims today pray the voluntary prayers individually. So if a man wanted, every time he entered the mosque, to say, "O people, come, let us pray in congregation instead of praying the voluntary prayers individually, let us pray them in congregation," and he argued with something like his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Abi Dawud 554Hasan (Al-Albani) This is a general text that includes this specific detail, but this specific detail is not one upon which the practice of the Muslims has proceeded, in accordance with the indication of the other hadith, so it is not acted upon.
The questioner : Unless a text comes regarding it.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is clear.
The Shaykh : For example, congregational prayer in voluntary prayers. Is congregational prayer in the regular voluntary prayers (rawatib) in the mosque prescribed? I mean, we enter to pray the midday prayer now, and we want to pray the pre-midday voluntary prayer. Is it prescribed to pray it in congregation?
The questioner : The Sunnah?
The Shaykh : I am speaking about the pre-midday voluntary prayer.
The questioner : He prays it in congregation! I have no knowledge of that.
The Shaykh : How can you say you have no knowledge when you are living in the mosque?
The questioner : I mean, I cannot say yes, perhaps there is evidence or
The Shaykh : How can there be evidence when all the Muslims are praying individually?
The questioner : That is not what I mean.
The Shaykh : The infection has come from your companion. I ask him from here, and he tells me from there.
The questioner : I mean, what is it? I have no knowledge and no evidence!
The Shaykh : There is a difference between you and him, but the infection transfers. Congregational prayer in the regular voluntary prayers, as you see, the Muslims today pray the voluntary prayers individually. So if a man wanted, every time he entered the mosque, to say, "O people, come, let us pray in congregation instead of praying the voluntary prayers individually, let us pray them in congregation," and he argued with something like his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):
A man's prayer said along with another is purer than his prayer said alone
صلاة الرجل مع الرجل أزكى من صلاته وحدهThe questioner : Unless a text comes regarding it.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is clear.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.