What is the ruling on the prayer of a person praying alone behind the row?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you, O Shaykh: What is the ruling on the prayer of a person praying alone behind the row? Is it permissible, or does it invalidate the prayer?
The Shaykh : The four Imams—al-Shafi'i, Malik, Abu Hanifah, and Imam Ahmad—stated that the prayer of a person praying alone behind the row is valid, whether the row is complete or not. They said that the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him):Bulugh al-Maram 2:327 is like his saying: Riyad as-Salihin 1753 and the meaning is: Do you not know that there is no complete prayer? However, there is a narration from Ahmad that the prayer of a person praying alone behind the row is not valid in any case, contrary to the narration in which the three Imams agreed. This is the well-known position in the madhhab of Imam Ahmad, that the prayer of a person praying alone behind the row is not valid under any circumstances, even if the row is complete.
The Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) took the middle position, stating: If the row is complete, then the prayer of the person praying alone behind it is valid, because he is now unable to join the row, and Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear. But if the row is not complete, it is not valid for him to pray alone behind the row due to the lack of an excuse. This is the opinion chosen by the Shaykh al-Islam, and it is also the choice of our Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Sa'di (may Allah have mercy on him), and it is what we see to be correct: that if the row is complete, pray alone, do not pull anyone [into the row], and do not move forward to pray with the imam.
This is the correct opinion, which we see to be closer to the Sunnah than the opinion of absolute invalidity or absolute validity.
And with this, this session ends until the next session, if Allah wills, and we hope you will allow us [to conclude].
The Shaykh : The four Imams—al-Shafi'i, Malik, Abu Hanifah, and Imam Ahmad—stated that the prayer of a person praying alone behind the row is valid, whether the row is complete or not. They said that the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him):
The prayer of a person who prays alone behind the row is not accepted.
لا صلاة لمنفرد خلف الصفNo Salat (prayer) should be performed when the food has been served
لا صلاة بحضرة طعامThe Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) took the middle position, stating: If the row is complete, then the prayer of the person praying alone behind it is valid, because he is now unable to join the row, and Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear. But if the row is not complete, it is not valid for him to pray alone behind the row due to the lack of an excuse. This is the opinion chosen by the Shaykh al-Islam, and it is also the choice of our Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Sa'di (may Allah have mercy on him), and it is what we see to be correct: that if the row is complete, pray alone, do not pull anyone [into the row], and do not move forward to pray with the imam.
This is the correct opinion, which we see to be closer to the Sunnah than the opinion of absolute invalidity or absolute validity.
And with this, this session ends until the next session, if Allah wills, and we hope you will allow us [to conclude].