Chapter: Prayer when besieging fortresses and meeting the enemy.
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The reader: Chapter: Prayer when besieging fortresses and meeting the enemy.
And Al-Awza'i said:, and Makhul held this view.
And Anas said:, and Anas said: .
The Shaykh : Allahu Akbar. This issue is one in which scholars have differed: if the fighting intensifies and people are unable to perform the prayer in any manner due to the intensity of the battle, meaning the people are engaged in close combat, are they permitted to delay it until the time, meaning until they feel safe, or not? Most scholars say no; they should pray, even if each person is alone, and not delay it. Some scholars said there is no harm in delaying it beyond its time. This applies to prayers that are not combined with the one following them. As for those that are combined with the one following them, there is no doubt in them, because they delay the first one until the second. But for those that are not combined, such as the 'Asr prayer, the Fajr prayer, and the 'Isha' prayer, the correct view is that they are permitted to delay them. Because if they pray while eyes are averted and hearts have reached their throats, how can one conceive of prayer? A person in a state of well-being cannot imagine the situation, but when it occurs and one sees the slaughter, with men in front of him with white weapons, one cannot conceive of prayer. So he may delay it out of necessity. This is the stronger position as long as it is absolutely impossible. However, if it is possible, it is not permissible. Look at the story of the siege of the fortress of Tustar: the fighting intensified, so we were unable to pray, and we did not pray until the sun had risen high. We prayed it while with Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, the companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and it was opened for us. Anas said: "I would not trade that prayer for this world and all it contains", meaning if I were given this world and all it contains in exchange for this prayer, it would not please me, even though it was delayed beyond its time. But it was delayed for what? For necessity and jihad in the path of Allah.
We read Ibn Rajab on this.
The reader: I say a very little.
The Shaykh : A little? Subhan Allah.
The reader: When he mentioned it, he said.
The Shaykh : Chapter: Prayer.
The reader: The beginning of the chapter?
The Shaykh : Yes, the heading.
And Al-Awza'i said:
If the opening of the fortress is imminent and they are unable to pray, they should pray by gesture, each person for himself. If they are unable to gesture, they should delay the prayer until the battle is over or they feel safe, then pray two rak'ahs. If they are unable to do so, they should pray one rak'ah and two prostrations; the takbir alone does not suffice for them, and they should delay it until they feel safe.
إن كان تهيأ الفتح ، ولم يقدروا على الصلاة ، صلوا إيماء كل امرئ لنفسه ، فإن لم يقدروا على الإيماء أخروا الصلاة ، حتى ينكشف القتال أو يأمنوا ، فيصلوا ركعتين ، فإن لم يقدروا صلوا ركعة وسجدتين ، لا يجزئهم التكبير ويؤخرونها حتى يأمنواAnd Anas said:
I was present at the siege of the fortress of Tustar at the break of dawn, and the fighting intensified, so we were unable to pray. We did not pray until the sun had risen high, and we prayed it while with Abu Musa, and it was opened for us.
حضرت عند مناهضة حصن تستر عند إضاءة الفجر - واشتد اشتعال القتال - فلم يقدروا على الصلاة ، فلم نصل إلا بعد ارتفاع النهار ، فصليناها ونحن مع أبي موسى ففتح لناI would not trade that prayer for this world and all it contains.
وما يسرني بتلك الصلاة الدنيا وما فيهاThe Shaykh : Allahu Akbar. This issue is one in which scholars have differed: if the fighting intensifies and people are unable to perform the prayer in any manner due to the intensity of the battle, meaning the people are engaged in close combat, are they permitted to delay it until the time, meaning until they feel safe, or not? Most scholars say no; they should pray, even if each person is alone, and not delay it. Some scholars said there is no harm in delaying it beyond its time. This applies to prayers that are not combined with the one following them. As for those that are combined with the one following them, there is no doubt in them, because they delay the first one until the second. But for those that are not combined, such as the 'Asr prayer, the Fajr prayer, and the 'Isha' prayer, the correct view is that they are permitted to delay them. Because if they pray while eyes are averted and hearts have reached their throats, how can one conceive of prayer? A person in a state of well-being cannot imagine the situation, but when it occurs and one sees the slaughter, with men in front of him with white weapons, one cannot conceive of prayer. So he may delay it out of necessity. This is the stronger position as long as it is absolutely impossible. However, if it is possible, it is not permissible. Look at the story of the siege of the fortress of Tustar: the fighting intensified, so we were unable to pray, and we did not pray until the sun had risen high. We prayed it while with Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, the companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and it was opened for us. Anas said: "I would not trade that prayer for this world and all it contains", meaning if I were given this world and all it contains in exchange for this prayer, it would not please me, even though it was delayed beyond its time. But it was delayed for what? For necessity and jihad in the path of Allah.
We read Ibn Rajab on this.
The reader: I say a very little.
The Shaykh : A little? Subhan Allah.
The reader: When he mentioned it, he said.
The Shaykh : Chapter: Prayer.
The reader: The beginning of the chapter?
The Shaykh : Yes, the heading.