An imam who prays Witr like the Maghrib prayer, and we heard from you, may Allah guide you, in the previous meeting that this manner is not valid, so when we informed him of that, he said that I
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The questioner : May Allah reward the honorableThe Shaykh : An imam prays Witr like the Maghrib prayer, and we heard from you, may Allah guide you, in the previous meeting that this manner is not valid. When we informed him of that, he said, "I do that out of consideration for the followers, because if I did not do that, they would leave Witr and pray individually in their homes." What is your guidance for this imam? May Allah reward you with good?
The Shaykh : I see that the imam should not do anything that forces people, especially in a situation like this where there is a deviation from the Sunnah, making Witr like Maghrib in order to keep the followers. We also say that this assumption is not correct, because if the intention is to hold the followers until they pray Witr, let him pray Witr with them in three rak'ahs with only one tashahhud; it is not obligatory for him to sit.
And this indicates that our brother, this imam, does not have fiqh (jurisprudence) in this issue. Therefore, we advise him to pray Witr in three rak'ahs with one tashahhud. If they do not leave when he recites the first tashahhud, they will not leave when he makes it with one tashahhud. Although I do not see that we should do an action that forces people, ever. If the people want us to pray Witr with them, we will pray. If they say, "By Allah, do not pray Witr, we will pray in our homes," and they are a limited number, let us leave them. Yes.
The Shaykh : I see that the imam should not do anything that forces people, especially in a situation like this where there is a deviation from the Sunnah, making Witr like Maghrib in order to keep the followers. We also say that this assumption is not correct, because if the intention is to hold the followers until they pray Witr, let him pray Witr with them in three rak'ahs with only one tashahhud; it is not obligatory for him to sit.
And this indicates that our brother, this imam, does not have fiqh (jurisprudence) in this issue. Therefore, we advise him to pray Witr in three rak'ahs with one tashahhud. If they do not leave when he recites the first tashahhud, they will not leave when he makes it with one tashahhud. Although I do not see that we should do an action that forces people, ever. If the people want us to pray Witr with them, we will pray. If they say, "By Allah, do not pray Witr, we will pray in our homes," and they are a limited number, let us leave them. Yes.