The Resting Sitting: If the follower knows that his imam does not perform it, what is best for him in that case, and if he does perform it, does he thereby contradict his imam?
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The questioner : This questioner says: Regarding the resting sitting, if the follower knows that his imam does not perform it, what is best for him in that case, and if he does perform it, does he thereby contradict his imam?
The Shaykh : Yes, the resting sitting is when a person stands up for the second or fourth rak'ah in a four-rak'ah prayer, he sits briefly and then rises. This is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hadith of Malik ibn Huwayris, and it is in the two Sahihs. However, those who described his prayer mentioned that he does not sit, meaning that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) does not perform this sitting. The scholars differed on this matter. Some scholars said: "This sitting is not prescribed at all", while others said: "Rather, it is prescribed in every case". Others made a distinction and said: "If a person needs this sitting due to the heaviness of his body, his illness, or his old age, let him sit; otherwise, he should not". The author of al-Mughni said: "This is the opinion that brings the evidence together", and Ibn al-Qayyim also chose this opinion in Zad al-Ma'ad. However, if a person needs this sitting, the Sunnah is to sit; otherwise, he should rise by leaning on the fronts of his feet without sitting. This applies if the one praying is alone or is the imam. But if he is a follower, he follows his imam: if the imam sits, he sits, even if he does not consider it a Sunnah, he sits in order to follow his imam. If the imam does not sit, he does not sit, even if he considers it a Sunnah, in order to follow the imam, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded immediate following of the imam. So if the imam rises from prostration and does not sit, the completion of following is that you rise and do not sit, because if you sat, you would be delayed in following the rising. But since this sitting is brief, if the follower performs it, he is not considered to be contradicting his imam, because he will rise quickly. However, the completion of following is that you do not sit. It does not harm you if you leave this sitting, and it does not diminish your prayer, because the first tashahhud is more emphasized than this. And yet, if the imam forgets the first tashahhud and stands up, it is obligatory for you not to stand up and not to sit, so you leave this obligatory sitting for what? Following the imam. If you joined the imam in a four-rak'ah prayer and you joined him in the second rak'ah, it would be obligatory for you to sit while you are in the first rak'ah, and it would be obligatory for you to leave sitting while you are in the second rak'ah. All of this is to achieve following the imam. So the resting sitting is less emphasized, whether in negation or affirmation, than the sitting for tashahhud. If the sitting for tashahhud is dropped for the sake of following, then the sitting for resting is dropped for the sake of following. But I say that since the delay in the resting sitting is slight, the sitting is not considered a contradiction of the imam, and it does not invalidate the prayer if he sits. But we command him not to sit.
The questioner : And this questioner says: If a person prays the funeral prayer.
The Shaykh : The brother says the time has ended now. But wait, everyone.
The Shaykh : Yes, the resting sitting is when a person stands up for the second or fourth rak'ah in a four-rak'ah prayer, he sits briefly and then rises. This is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hadith of Malik ibn Huwayris, and it is in the two Sahihs. However, those who described his prayer mentioned that he does not sit, meaning that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) does not perform this sitting. The scholars differed on this matter. Some scholars said: "This sitting is not prescribed at all", while others said: "Rather, it is prescribed in every case". Others made a distinction and said: "If a person needs this sitting due to the heaviness of his body, his illness, or his old age, let him sit; otherwise, he should not". The author of al-Mughni said: "This is the opinion that brings the evidence together", and Ibn al-Qayyim also chose this opinion in Zad al-Ma'ad. However, if a person needs this sitting, the Sunnah is to sit; otherwise, he should rise by leaning on the fronts of his feet without sitting. This applies if the one praying is alone or is the imam. But if he is a follower, he follows his imam: if the imam sits, he sits, even if he does not consider it a Sunnah, he sits in order to follow his imam. If the imam does not sit, he does not sit, even if he considers it a Sunnah, in order to follow the imam, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded immediate following of the imam. So if the imam rises from prostration and does not sit, the completion of following is that you rise and do not sit, because if you sat, you would be delayed in following the rising. But since this sitting is brief, if the follower performs it, he is not considered to be contradicting his imam, because he will rise quickly. However, the completion of following is that you do not sit. It does not harm you if you leave this sitting, and it does not diminish your prayer, because the first tashahhud is more emphasized than this. And yet, if the imam forgets the first tashahhud and stands up, it is obligatory for you not to stand up and not to sit, so you leave this obligatory sitting for what? Following the imam. If you joined the imam in a four-rak'ah prayer and you joined him in the second rak'ah, it would be obligatory for you to sit while you are in the first rak'ah, and it would be obligatory for you to leave sitting while you are in the second rak'ah. All of this is to achieve following the imam. So the resting sitting is less emphasized, whether in negation or affirmation, than the sitting for tashahhud. If the sitting for tashahhud is dropped for the sake of following, then the sitting for resting is dropped for the sake of following. But I say that since the delay in the resting sitting is slight, the sitting is not considered a contradiction of the imam, and it does not invalidate the prayer if he sits. But we command him not to sit.
The questioner : And this questioner says: If a person prays the funeral prayer.
The Shaykh : The brother says the time has ended now. But wait, everyone.