A traveler led a group of residents in prayer and prayed four rak'ahs with them; is he sinful, and is his prayer valid?
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The questioner : A man knows that shortening the prayer is obligatory for a traveler.
The Shaykh : That...?
The questioner : Shortening the prayer is obligatory for a traveler. He entered a mosque, and the worshippers wanted this man to lead them in the 'Asr prayer. He looked at them and saw that most of them were common people, and he feared that if he applied this Sunnah, it would cause harm. So they insisted that he lead them, and he prayed four rak'ahs. First, is his prayer invalid? First, is he sinful? And the second question is: is his prayer invalid?
The Shaykh : Well done.
The questioner : And the third question is: is it permissible for him to pray a voluntary prayer, and then pray two rak'ahs after he has said the closing salam? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : First, what is the prayer?
The questioner : The 'Asr prayer.
The Shaykh : The 'Asr prayer?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The answer is that he is sinful if he prayed the full prayer, but we cannot rule that his prayer is invalid, because many of the righteous Salaf held that it was permissible. However, I think he should have done what the questioner in front of you has done more than once: first, he should have excused himself, fearing the disturbance and confusion you mentioned in your question. If they insisted, he should have given them a lecture explaining that the obligatory Sunnah to follow is shortening the prayer, and that praying the full prayer while traveling is like shortening it while resident. Based on what he knows of this Sunnah, he would pray two rak'ahs with them. And at the end of the prayer, when he exits the prayer by saying the salam, he should say it quietly to himself and not let them hear his salam, fearing that their custom would take over and they would say the salam with him. At that point, he would say to them in a loud voice: "Complete your prayer, for we are travelers," as the authentic report states regarding 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) when he was leading people in prayer in Mecca as Caliph; he would pray two rak'ahs with them and say to them: "Complete your prayer, for we are travelers." After this introduction, if they accepted his leadership and then caused a problem, then the bird has flown away from its own nest, and he would have presented his excuse to them. If the situation proceeds, that is what we seek. As for the answer to the third question, which is whether it is permissible for him to pray a voluntary prayer, we say it is permissible for him to pray a voluntary prayer as long as it is a time when voluntary prayer is permissible. But I think it is better for him to teach people the Sunnah first by saying it, as I explained, and then by doing it, as you did. And with that, the answer to your question is complete. Please.
The Shaykh : That...?
The questioner : Shortening the prayer is obligatory for a traveler. He entered a mosque, and the worshippers wanted this man to lead them in the 'Asr prayer. He looked at them and saw that most of them were common people, and he feared that if he applied this Sunnah, it would cause harm. So they insisted that he lead them, and he prayed four rak'ahs. First, is his prayer invalid? First, is he sinful? And the second question is: is his prayer invalid?
The Shaykh : Well done.
The questioner : And the third question is: is it permissible for him to pray a voluntary prayer, and then pray two rak'ahs after he has said the closing salam? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : First, what is the prayer?
The questioner : The 'Asr prayer.
The Shaykh : The 'Asr prayer?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The answer is that he is sinful if he prayed the full prayer, but we cannot rule that his prayer is invalid, because many of the righteous Salaf held that it was permissible. However, I think he should have done what the questioner in front of you has done more than once: first, he should have excused himself, fearing the disturbance and confusion you mentioned in your question. If they insisted, he should have given them a lecture explaining that the obligatory Sunnah to follow is shortening the prayer, and that praying the full prayer while traveling is like shortening it while resident. Based on what he knows of this Sunnah, he would pray two rak'ahs with them. And at the end of the prayer, when he exits the prayer by saying the salam, he should say it quietly to himself and not let them hear his salam, fearing that their custom would take over and they would say the salam with him. At that point, he would say to them in a loud voice: "Complete your prayer, for we are travelers," as the authentic report states regarding 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) when he was leading people in prayer in Mecca as Caliph; he would pray two rak'ahs with them and say to them: "Complete your prayer, for we are travelers." After this introduction, if they accepted his leadership and then caused a problem, then the bird has flown away from its own nest, and he would have presented his excuse to them. If the situation proceeds, that is what we seek. As for the answer to the third question, which is whether it is permissible for him to pray a voluntary prayer, we say it is permissible for him to pray a voluntary prayer as long as it is a time when voluntary prayer is permissible. But I think it is better for him to teach people the Sunnah first by saying it, as I explained, and then by doing it, as you did. And with that, the answer to your question is complete. Please.
Source
www.al-albany.com
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