Benefits of the Hadith Regarding the Two Rak'ahs Before the Dawn Prayer

The Shaykh : This is evidence that the term *adhan* (call to prayer) is applied to *iqamah* (the second call) even if it is performed individually. We move on from this great benefit to the fact that some of the brothers were misled regarding the *mu'adhdhin's* (caller's) saying "Prayer is better than sleep" for the Fajr prayer. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered Bilal to include it in the first *adhan* for the Fajr prayer. Some people who love to adhere to the Sunnah, but did not reflect deeply, assumed that "Prayer is better than sleep" is only for the *adhan* before Fajr, based on the Messenger's (peace and blessings be upon him) statement . They made a big deal out of it, making a big deal out of the people of Najd and the people of the Hijaz, and they said: How do you put "Prayer is better than sleep" in the Fajr *adhan*, given Bilal's hadith about the first *adhan*? We say that the "first *adhan*" is considered so in relation to the *iqamah*, because the *iqamah* is the second *adhan*. This is the definitive view because he said, "When you call the first *adhan* for the Fajr prayer." It is well known that the *adhan* for the Fajr prayer does not occur except after the time has entered. The evidence that the *adhan* for prayer does not occur except after the time has entered is the Messenger's (peace and blessings be upon him) statement . It is not possible for the prayer to be present unless its time has entered. Thus, the misconception of these people is clear, and it is clear that a person should not be hasty in denouncing matters that people have practiced for long periods of time. This is what I want to say now: what people have established and followed for long periods of time, do not rush to denounce. Reflect, because they may have knowledge that you do not have. This is one point. Second: what the majority of scholars are upon, do not rush to denounce, because the majority of scholars are closer to the truth than the minority. So do not rush to denounce. Now, some of the brothers who adhere to the Sunnah, when they see an anomalous practice or an anomalous narration, they hold onto it and leave the people behind, sweeping them away behind their backs, as some did with the hadith that if the sun sets on a person and he has not completed the *Tawaf al-Ifadah*, he returns to the state of *ihram* and it is obligatory for him to remove his shirt and wear the *rida'* (cloak) and *izar* (lower garment). They said this, without knowing that most scholars, and some of them reported consensus, that there is no practice based on this hadith, and that it is anomalous and its chain is also weak. So the important thing is that I warn against two matters. The first matter: what people have established, do not rush to denounce. I am not saying do not denounce; I am saying do not rush. Be deliberate, seek the evidence, weigh them against each other, and investigate.
The second thing: what contradicts the position of the majority, do not rush to denounce the majority. The majority is closer to the truth than the minority. And I am not saying do not refute them or contradict them; contradict them when the truth becomes clear, but be deliberate in the matter. We cannot intervene in intentions to the extent that we say, as the common people say, "What? You contradicted, remember?" Yes, and as some hadith scholars do in the context of chains of narration, sometimes they dig deep into the chain and bring out rare narrations to be mentioned. But we do not intervene in intentions; intentions are with Allah the Mighty and Majestic, and with Allah the Exalted and Glorious. However, it is obligatory for the student of knowledge that when he sees evidence that contradicts what people are upon, he does not rush to denounce it until the matter becomes clear. This evidence may have something that abrogates it, or it may be general and have something that specifies it, or it may be absolute and have something that restricts it, or it may be weak and the weaker position, or something similar. And so we also say regarding the matter of contradicting the majority. Likewise, some people, when they see a Companion doing something that contradicts what people know, they denounce what people know because of this probable action of the Companion.
I give you an example of a man who denounced two people who entered the mosque after the congregational prayer and prayed in congregation. He denounced them severely and said: This is a religious innovation. Why? He said: Because Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) entered the mosque after the prayer had been completed, with his companions, and he returned to his house and did not establish a congregation in the mosque. And because if these people establish a congregation in the mosque, people will become negligent about attending the regular imam. It is said: First, the action of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) is probable for several reasons, because it is a specific case, probable for several things. And it is contradicted by the statement of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): This is general. Then, it is narrated from Ibn Mas'ud that he established a congregation after the first congregation in the mosque, as the jurists transmitted from him as a statement. Then, does his return mean that it is not permissible to establish a second congregation? We do not know. It may be this, or it may be so that people do not become negligent if they see Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, the noble Companion, delaying the congregation, they would be lax about it. Or it may be that he returned to his house so that the imam of the mosque would not think that if he established a congregation after him, he would not want to pray behind him, so there would be something in his heart. It has multiple probabilities, so it is not permissible for us to make this multi-probable action a refutation of the Sunnah. This action has multiple probabilities; it is not permissible to make it a refutation of the Sunnah. Then, it is also in the Sunan that a man entered while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had prayed with his companions, and he said So he ordered that a congregation be established, or encouraged that a congregation be established between two men, one of whose prayers is voluntary and not obligatory. How is it possible that the Messenger encourages establishing a congregation for a prayer where one of them is voluntary, and we say we prevent establishing a congregation for a prayer where both are obligatory? This is not something the Shari'ah brings. So the important thing is that some people rush and make mistakes.
As for their saying that this leads to people becoming negligent about praying with the regular imam, this is correct if we make it a habit such that this man comes and establishes a congregational prayer after the first prayer. Yes, this is prevented. As for something incidental, they came and the congregation had ended, we say: Do not pray in congregation. Yes.