If the ma'mum intends to pray witr with three rak'ahs and two taslims, but his imam prays three rak'ahs with one taslim, does he follow the imam despite the difference in intention, or does he sit and say the taslim?
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The questioner : If the ma'mum intends to pray witr with three rak'ahs and two taslims, but his imam prays three rak'ahs with one taslim, does he follow the imam despite the difference in intention, or does he sit and say the taslim?
The Shaykh : The question is now clear? He says: A ma'mum entered the prayer with the imam intending to pray witr, but a separate witr, meaning he intends a separate witr where he says the taslim after two rak'ahs and then performs the third, but the imam did not separate them; he recited all three continuously.
We say: There is nothing wrong with that, because what we call al-shaf' is in reality witr. However, the one who prays witr with three rak'ahs may either say the taslim after two rak'ahs or recite all three continuously. In any case, it is witr. The difference in intention—whether one prays three rak'ahs with one taslim or two taslims—does not matter, because the act of worship is one, and it is witr. Yes.
I am now pointing out an issue that some imams do. Some imams try to complete the recitation of the Qur'an in Ramadan. I have heard that some of them read from the tarawih recitation during the obligatory prayer, specifically the 'Isha' prayer. I have also heard that some of them read from the tarawih recitation during witr in order to complete the Qur'an. Look at this erroneous ijtihad, because if he reads from the tarawih recitation during the 'Isha' prayer and a person enters who did not attend the iqamah, what will he think? He will think it is the 'Isha' prayer, but it is actually tarawih. So he will be confused in his intention. Likewise, if he reads from the tarawih recitation during witr, he abandons the sunnah and misleads the people. What is the sunnah in witr? It is to recite Surat al-A'la, Surat al-Kafirun, and Surat al-Ikhlas. This is a deviation from the sunnah.
Second, it misleads the people, because some people, when they hear him reading from the tarawih recitation, think that this is not witr. These ijtihads that occur among some people require a person to ask the scholars before proceeding. Yes, indeed.
The Shaykh : The question is now clear? He says: A ma'mum entered the prayer with the imam intending to pray witr, but a separate witr, meaning he intends a separate witr where he says the taslim after two rak'ahs and then performs the third, but the imam did not separate them; he recited all three continuously.
We say: There is nothing wrong with that, because what we call al-shaf' is in reality witr. However, the one who prays witr with three rak'ahs may either say the taslim after two rak'ahs or recite all three continuously. In any case, it is witr. The difference in intention—whether one prays three rak'ahs with one taslim or two taslims—does not matter, because the act of worship is one, and it is witr. Yes.
I am now pointing out an issue that some imams do. Some imams try to complete the recitation of the Qur'an in Ramadan. I have heard that some of them read from the tarawih recitation during the obligatory prayer, specifically the 'Isha' prayer. I have also heard that some of them read from the tarawih recitation during witr in order to complete the Qur'an. Look at this erroneous ijtihad, because if he reads from the tarawih recitation during the 'Isha' prayer and a person enters who did not attend the iqamah, what will he think? He will think it is the 'Isha' prayer, but it is actually tarawih. So he will be confused in his intention. Likewise, if he reads from the tarawih recitation during witr, he abandons the sunnah and misleads the people. What is the sunnah in witr? It is to recite Surat al-A'la, Surat al-Kafirun, and Surat al-Ikhlas. This is a deviation from the sunnah.
Second, it misleads the people, because some people, when they hear him reading from the tarawih recitation, think that this is not witr. These ijtihads that occur among some people require a person to ask the scholars before proceeding. Yes, indeed.