Regarding those who say that if the imam prays sitting, the ma'mum prays standing, what is their evidence?
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The questioner : Shaykh, regarding those who say the opposite of this, what is their argument?
The Shaykh : Those who say that if the imam prays sitting, you should pray standing, say that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed sitting in the last part of his life, and the people behind him were standing, so they considered this an abrogation. This is wrong in two ways. The first is that abrogation requires a conflict between the two texts such that they cannot be combined, and here combination is possible because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came during the prayer, and Abu Bakr had already started the prayer with them standing. Therefore, Abu Bakr was next to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) praying standing. Since he had started the prayer with them standing and they were standing, it was necessary for them to continue in the state they were in. Do you understand? Good. The second aspect of the error is that an action does not abrogate a statement. Yes, the ma'mum praying standing behind a sitting imam is established by the action, but the ma'mum praying sitting behind a sitting imam is established by the statement. The action does not abrogate the statement because it is possible that the action has a cause that does not exist in what the statement indicates. Do you understand? Yes, Khalid.
The questioner : Raising the hands in the takbir
The Shaykh : We have not reached it. Has the time ended?
The Reader: Our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his Sahih, in the Book of the Description of Prayer, in the chapter: "Raising the hands in the first takbir, along with the opening, equally."
Abdullah ibn Muslimah narrated to us from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Salim ibn Abdullah from his father that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to raise his hands to the level of his shoulders when he started the prayer, and when he said takbir for ruku', and when he raised his head from ruku', he raised them likewise and said, "Allah hears the one who praises Him. Our Lord, to You belongs all praise." And he did not do this in sujud.
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. This explains when the raising of the hands takes place. It says in al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him), "along with the opening, equally." This implies that the raising begins at the start of the takbir and ends at the end of the takbir. Three descriptions have been reported regarding this: this is one, the second is that he says takbir then raises, and the third is that he raises then says takbir. This indicates that the matter is broad in this regard. Also, in this hadith, it is mentioned that he (peace and blessings be upon him) says, "Allah hears the one who praises Him. Our Lord, to You belongs all praise," but the ma'mum says only, "Our Lord, to You belongs all praise." It also indicates that he did not do this in sujud.
The Shaykh : Those who say that if the imam prays sitting, you should pray standing, say that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed sitting in the last part of his life, and the people behind him were standing, so they considered this an abrogation. This is wrong in two ways. The first is that abrogation requires a conflict between the two texts such that they cannot be combined, and here combination is possible because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came during the prayer, and Abu Bakr had already started the prayer with them standing. Therefore, Abu Bakr was next to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) praying standing. Since he had started the prayer with them standing and they were standing, it was necessary for them to continue in the state they were in. Do you understand? Good. The second aspect of the error is that an action does not abrogate a statement. Yes, the ma'mum praying standing behind a sitting imam is established by the action, but the ma'mum praying sitting behind a sitting imam is established by the statement. The action does not abrogate the statement because it is possible that the action has a cause that does not exist in what the statement indicates. Do you understand? Yes, Khalid.
The questioner : Raising the hands in the takbir
The Shaykh : We have not reached it. Has the time ended?
The Reader: Our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his Sahih, in the Book of the Description of Prayer, in the chapter: "Raising the hands in the first takbir, along with the opening, equally."
Abdullah ibn Muslimah narrated to us from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Salim ibn Abdullah from his father that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to raise his hands to the level of his shoulders when he started the prayer, and when he said takbir for ruku', and when he raised his head from ruku', he raised them likewise and said, "Allah hears the one who praises Him. Our Lord, to You belongs all praise." And he did not do this in sujud.
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. This explains when the raising of the hands takes place. It says in al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him), "along with the opening, equally." This implies that the raising begins at the start of the takbir and ends at the end of the takbir. Three descriptions have been reported regarding this: this is one, the second is that he says takbir then raises, and the third is that he raises then says takbir. This indicates that the matter is broad in this regard. Also, in this hadith, it is mentioned that he (peace and blessings be upon him) says, "Allah hears the one who praises Him. Our Lord, to You belongs all praise," but the ma'mum says only, "Our Lord, to You belongs all praise." It also indicates that he did not do this in sujud.