Explaining the error of some imams in their practice of the Sunnah and their failure to make things easy for the people.
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The Shaykh : And among this, and one thing brings to mind another, is that some imams said, "I want to apply the Sunnah regarding the witr in the tarawih prayer. I want to apply the Sunnah regarding the witr. Please, let me pray nine rak'ahs with one taslim, and I will recite the tashahhud in the eighth, because it is from the Sunnah, from some of the forms of the witr, to make the witr with what? With nine rak'ahs, reciting the tashahhud in the eighth, not making the taslim, and making the taslim in the ninth." He said, "I want to apply the Sunnah," so he prayed with his companions, who were not a specific, limited group that had agreed on this, but in a public mosque. A poor man started the tarawih as soon as he finished the 'Isha' prayer and its sunnah. The common people wanted to make the taslim after two rak'ahs, and perhaps they would recite dhikr when he stood for the third, but I do not know if they recited dhikr for him. However, it was reported to me that he prayed nine rak'ahs with them. Is this from the Sunnah? Did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) pray nine rak'ahs with the people? No, he never prayed nine rak'ahs with them. He prayed with them two rak'ahs, two rak'ahs, but he made the witr with nine. So we say to this brother, "Do the Sunnah as it came: make the witr yourself in your home with nine rak'ahs, recite the tashahhud in the eighth, do not make the taslim, pray the ninth, and make the taslim." As for when you are praying for the people, you are holding them back. Perhaps a person will suffer from a urinary blockage, or have work to do, or something similar. Or a person may enter thinking that this is the tarawih prayer and not the witr, so his intention will differ. For this reason, we also advise our brothers, the students of knowledge, to take into account the conditions of the people in such situations. Did not the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: Sunan Abi Dawud 794Sahih (Al-Albani)? So the one who prays for others must take them into account, while the one who prays for himself may do whatever he wishes of what Allah has made lawful.
So if someone says, "Do you want us to abandon the Sunnah?"
I say, "No, by Allah, I do not want to abandon the Sunnah. I love for the Sunnah to spread to every individual, but I love for the Sunnah to be applied as it came."
So I say: Do the witr with nine in your home, but with the people, do not make things difficult for them. Rather, pray with them two rak'ahs, two rak'ahs, and make the witr with three. Likewise, some people, may Allah lengthen their life, cite evidence.
When one of you leads the people in prayer, he should be brief, for among them are the weak, the sick, and the aged. But when one of you prays by himself, he may pray as long as he likes.
إذا صلى أحدكم للناس فليخفف وإذا صلى لنفسه فليطول ما شاءSo if someone says, "Do you want us to abandon the Sunnah?"
I say, "No, by Allah, I do not want to abandon the Sunnah. I love for the Sunnah to spread to every individual, but I love for the Sunnah to be applied as it came."
So I say: Do the witr with nine in your home, but with the people, do not make things difficult for them. Rather, pray with them two rak'ahs, two rak'ahs, and make the witr with three. Likewise, some people, may Allah lengthen their life, cite evidence.