You said, O Shaykh, that the Friday bath is obligatory, so how do we reconcile the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), "Whoever bathes on Friday, that is good and excellent..."?
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The questioner : ... regarding the obligation of the Friday bath, and I answered regarding the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that it is better. But as for the phrase "that is good and excellent," we know from the language that the word "excellent" or "good" implies praise. How can the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) praise something that is not permissible to do?
The Shaykh : May Allah forgive you. Who told you that it is not permissible to do?
Another questioner: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you. Who told you? May Allah guide you again. Are you explaining to me that it is the ablution?
The questioner : Based on ... .
The Shaykh : You, you should be careful, because you are making a grave error in what you are saying. You are assuming one of two things: either you are understanding it this way from the person from whom you heard the previous answer, or you are attributing this to some people who say that the ablution is an error. No one says this. Did you hear this from me?
The questioner : No, I ... .
The Shaykh : So where do you get this statement from?
The questioner : I understood from your statement that it is obligatory, so this indicates that, since the bath is obligatory ... .
The Shaykh : Okay, I am just asking you: how many obligatory acts are there in the ablution?
The questioner : Several obligatory acts.
The Shaykh : So if someone performs several obligatory acts and leaves out one obligatory act, would he have made a mistake?
The questioner : Of course, he would have made a mistake.
The Shaykh : He made a mistake in performing the obligatory acts, I mean?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : No, in the case of ... .
The Shaykh : This is like you. This is like you. Do you understand me?
The questioner : I did not understand it well.
The Shaykh : The ablution has obligatory acts, and it is obligatory to perform them all. If he performed them all except one, did he make a mistake in performing them all, or did he make a mistake in leaving out one of them?
The questioner : In leaving it out.
The Shaykh : This is like you. So did the one who performed the ablution on Friday make a mistake?
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : So what is your problem?
The questioner : The problem is ... .
The Shaykh : He performed the obligatory act.
The questioner : He performed the obligatory act.
The Shaykh : He performed an obligatory act. Do not say he performed the obligatory act.
The questioner : And not performing an obligatory act ... .
Another questioner: Our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Your knowledge is before you. May Allah guide you. This example is right in front of you.
The questioner : He said, "That is good and excellent" ... .
The Shaykh : So you did not understand the example.
The questioner : I understood it. I understood the example you brought up, but "that is good and excellent" means ... .
The Shaykh : I am telling you that you did not understand it. Did the one who performed all the obligatory acts have a valid ablution?
The questioner : Correct.
The Shaykh : Did the one who did not perform one of the obligatory acts, or the last one, have a valid ablution? If you did not understand.
We mean by obligatory acts those other than the pillars. Perhaps you understand now? Okay, is the bath a pillar? Is the Friday bath a pillar?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : So, his ablution is valid and his prayer is valid, just like the one who left out an obligatory act from the obligatory acts of ablution.
The questioner : Is it possible to praise a person for a prayer in which he did not perform all its pillars and obligatory acts?
The Shaykh : Why did you leave my example and resort to your distorted example, which is not what we are discussing?
The questioner : Because I ...
The Shaykh : For some reason. This reason, perhaps you are not aware of it, so I advise you to stick to our example.
The questioner : I mean ... .
The Shaykh : Because, do not rush. Let your concern be that you understand. And the one who understands does not speak much. Do you see? I gave you an example. Why did you move away from it to your example? And you really made a mistake, and this is not the point. Why did you leave the previous example, and you thought you understood me after I explained to you that an obligatory act is not a pillar?
The questioner : Because I think that this is necessary. This is what you said ...
The Shaykh : What does it mean?
The questioner : ... that this example I brought up necessitates this.
The Shaykh : Did I bring it up or did you?
The questioner : The one you brought up.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : I think that this example you brought up necessitates this, in my opinion.
The Shaykh : Yes, you are wrong.
The questioner : I mean, how ... .
The Shaykh : After I explained to you that we mean by obligatory acts those other than the pillars, you bring this up, you ask me, and you say: what about a man who prayed and did not complete the pillars and obligatory acts!
The questioner : I mean, is the intention to praise him for this action?
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you.
The questioner : Because the Prophet said ... .
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you.
The questioner : Amen.
The Shaykh : Why do you not follow me? What is wrong with you? Stick to your example. Did your example clarify the mistake to you? No.
The questioner : The second example?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : This ... what do you want to say? You want to build palaces on the edge of a cliff. You must understand whether your example is a mistake or correct, as I explained to you. In our example, we mean obligatory acts, not pillars. If you want to bring a second example, you would say: what do you think of one who left out the pillars and obligatory acts in prayer? This is a mistake, my brother. May Allah guide you. Especially after I explained to you: does the one who says the Friday bath is obligatory say that it is a pillar of prayer or a condition of prayer? And you said no. Now I am asking you a second question: does he say that the ablution on Friday is a condition of prayer or not?
The questioner : Of course.
The Shaykh : So how, after all this, do you say: what do you think of one who prays a prayer and leaves out its conditions, pillars, and obligatory acts?
The questioner : I did not intend exactly this, I mean ... .
The Shaykh : How do you say that? I am telling you? I am not telling you what you intend.
The questioner : Of course, this is different from ... .
The Shaykh : How do you say that, my brother? May Allah guide you.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : How do you ask me? How do you tell me: what do you think of one who prays a prayer and does not perform its pillars and obligatory acts? How do you say this to me? ... for example.
The questioner : I did not intend this example. I intended to ask: is a person praised for an action ... .
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you.
The questioner : A specific prayer, and he performed all its obligatory acts and pillars except for one obligatory act. Is he praised for that? That is the intention.
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you, ... look at its cause.
The questioner : I mean, what I intend is ... .
The Shaykh : ... I am discussing you based on your intention. I am discussing you based on your wording. You tell me: what do you think of a prayer where one prays without its pillars and obligatory acts? Did you mention the word "pillar" or not? Okay, I am asking you ... you got lost in your question, but I will clarify for you. Did you mention "pillar" or not?
The questioner : I mentioned it.
The Shaykh : Okay, why did you mention "pillar" when we ... .
The questioner : I mentioned that he performed it. I am like this ... .
The Shaykh : May Allah forgive you. Who told you that it is not permissible to do?
Another questioner: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you. Who told you? May Allah guide you again. Are you explaining to me that it is the ablution?
The questioner : Based on ... .
The Shaykh : You, you should be careful, because you are making a grave error in what you are saying. You are assuming one of two things: either you are understanding it this way from the person from whom you heard the previous answer, or you are attributing this to some people who say that the ablution is an error. No one says this. Did you hear this from me?
The questioner : No, I ... .
The Shaykh : So where do you get this statement from?
The questioner : I understood from your statement that it is obligatory, so this indicates that, since the bath is obligatory ... .
The Shaykh : Okay, I am just asking you: how many obligatory acts are there in the ablution?
The questioner : Several obligatory acts.
The Shaykh : So if someone performs several obligatory acts and leaves out one obligatory act, would he have made a mistake?
The questioner : Of course, he would have made a mistake.
The Shaykh : He made a mistake in performing the obligatory acts, I mean?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : No, in the case of ... .
The Shaykh : This is like you. This is like you. Do you understand me?
The questioner : I did not understand it well.
The Shaykh : The ablution has obligatory acts, and it is obligatory to perform them all. If he performed them all except one, did he make a mistake in performing them all, or did he make a mistake in leaving out one of them?
The questioner : In leaving it out.
The Shaykh : This is like you. So did the one who performed the ablution on Friday make a mistake?
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : So what is your problem?
The questioner : The problem is ... .
The Shaykh : He performed the obligatory act.
The questioner : He performed the obligatory act.
The Shaykh : He performed an obligatory act. Do not say he performed the obligatory act.
The questioner : And not performing an obligatory act ... .
Another questioner: Our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Your knowledge is before you. May Allah guide you. This example is right in front of you.
The questioner : He said, "That is good and excellent" ... .
The Shaykh : So you did not understand the example.
The questioner : I understood it. I understood the example you brought up, but "that is good and excellent" means ... .
The Shaykh : I am telling you that you did not understand it. Did the one who performed all the obligatory acts have a valid ablution?
The questioner : Correct.
The Shaykh : Did the one who did not perform one of the obligatory acts, or the last one, have a valid ablution? If you did not understand.
We mean by obligatory acts those other than the pillars. Perhaps you understand now? Okay, is the bath a pillar? Is the Friday bath a pillar?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : So, his ablution is valid and his prayer is valid, just like the one who left out an obligatory act from the obligatory acts of ablution.
The questioner : Is it possible to praise a person for a prayer in which he did not perform all its pillars and obligatory acts?
The Shaykh : Why did you leave my example and resort to your distorted example, which is not what we are discussing?
The questioner : Because I ...
The Shaykh : For some reason. This reason, perhaps you are not aware of it, so I advise you to stick to our example.
The questioner : I mean ... .
The Shaykh : Because, do not rush. Let your concern be that you understand. And the one who understands does not speak much. Do you see? I gave you an example. Why did you move away from it to your example? And you really made a mistake, and this is not the point. Why did you leave the previous example, and you thought you understood me after I explained to you that an obligatory act is not a pillar?
The questioner : Because I think that this is necessary. This is what you said ...
The Shaykh : What does it mean?
The questioner : ... that this example I brought up necessitates this.
The Shaykh : Did I bring it up or did you?
The questioner : The one you brought up.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : I think that this example you brought up necessitates this, in my opinion.
The Shaykh : Yes, you are wrong.
The questioner : I mean, how ... .
The Shaykh : After I explained to you that we mean by obligatory acts those other than the pillars, you bring this up, you ask me, and you say: what about a man who prayed and did not complete the pillars and obligatory acts!
The questioner : I mean, is the intention to praise him for this action?
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you.
The questioner : Because the Prophet said ... .
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you.
The questioner : Amen.
The Shaykh : Why do you not follow me? What is wrong with you? Stick to your example. Did your example clarify the mistake to you? No.
The questioner : The second example?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : This ... what do you want to say? You want to build palaces on the edge of a cliff. You must understand whether your example is a mistake or correct, as I explained to you. In our example, we mean obligatory acts, not pillars. If you want to bring a second example, you would say: what do you think of one who left out the pillars and obligatory acts in prayer? This is a mistake, my brother. May Allah guide you. Especially after I explained to you: does the one who says the Friday bath is obligatory say that it is a pillar of prayer or a condition of prayer? And you said no. Now I am asking you a second question: does he say that the ablution on Friday is a condition of prayer or not?
The questioner : Of course.
The Shaykh : So how, after all this, do you say: what do you think of one who prays a prayer and leaves out its conditions, pillars, and obligatory acts?
The questioner : I did not intend exactly this, I mean ... .
The Shaykh : How do you say that? I am telling you? I am not telling you what you intend.
The questioner : Of course, this is different from ... .
The Shaykh : How do you say that, my brother? May Allah guide you.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : How do you ask me? How do you tell me: what do you think of one who prays a prayer and does not perform its pillars and obligatory acts? How do you say this to me? ... for example.
The questioner : I did not intend this example. I intended to ask: is a person praised for an action ... .
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you.
The questioner : A specific prayer, and he performed all its obligatory acts and pillars except for one obligatory act. Is he praised for that? That is the intention.
The Shaykh : May Allah guide you, ... look at its cause.
The questioner : I mean, what I intend is ... .
The Shaykh : ... I am discussing you based on your intention. I am discussing you based on your wording. You tell me: what do you think of a prayer where one prays without its pillars and obligatory acts? Did you mention the word "pillar" or not? Okay, I am asking you ... you got lost in your question, but I will clarify for you. Did you mention "pillar" or not?
The questioner : I mentioned it.
The Shaykh : Okay, why did you mention "pillar" when we ... .
The questioner : I mentioned that he performed it. I am like this ... .