Reading from the author's words with commentary on them: "This makes it clear to you that Abu Sa'id saw the people's prayer as less than this."
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The reader: "This makes it clear to you that Abu Sa'id saw the people's prayer as less than this, and in the two Sahihs, Abu Burdah said" ...
The Shaykh : Why did Abu Sa'id say: Is this a negation or a question?
The student: Shaykh, because knowing the Sunnah and then not acting upon it, meaning not knowing it, is less severe than knowing it and then not acting upon it. I mean, if he knew how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray and lengthen the prayer, but he did not lengthen it when he prayed alone, that is more severe than if he did not know it.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: The principle, Shaykh, is that it is weak to apply the Sunnah among those around him.
The Shaykh : Yes, I do.
The student: It seems, and Allah knows best, that Abu Sa'id sensed from the man's state that his heart was troubled by the man's condition when he said, "I am not asking you about what these people asked you about." So it seems he intended a doubtful matter or something of that sort in his question about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah, so he said:.
The Shaykh : Yes, well, what good is there in that for him? Why is there no good in that for him, that he knows the prayer of the Messenger so that he can apply it?
The student: He saw in him complaint or confusion.
The Shaykh : It appears that this is it, meaning he feared that there might be in this something of going against the imams, and that someone might say, "You do not pray the prayer of the Messenger and you do not do it." And it seems that he (may Allah be pleased with him) saw that applying it was difficult because the people were all contrary to the Sunnah. The question is not applicable, although there is a possibility, but it is not applicable because the man did not ask except seeking good. Yes.
The Shaykh : Why did Abu Sa'id say:
What good is there in that for you?
ما لك في ذلك من خيرThe student: Shaykh, because knowing the Sunnah and then not acting upon it, meaning not knowing it, is less severe than knowing it and then not acting upon it. I mean, if he knew how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray and lengthen the prayer, but he did not lengthen it when he prayed alone, that is more severe than if he did not know it.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: The principle, Shaykh, is that it is weak to apply the Sunnah among those around him.
The Shaykh : Yes, I do.
The student: It seems, and Allah knows best, that Abu Sa'id sensed from the man's state that his heart was troubled by the man's condition when he said, "I am not asking you about what these people asked you about." So it seems he intended a doubtful matter or something of that sort in his question about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah, so he said:
What good is there in that for you?
ما لك في ذلك من خيرThe Shaykh : Yes, well, what good is there in that for him? Why is there no good in that for him, that he knows the prayer of the Messenger so that he can apply it?
The student: He saw in him complaint or confusion.
The Shaykh : It appears that this is it, meaning he feared that there might be in this something of going against the imams, and that someone might say, "You do not pray the prayer of the Messenger and you do not do it." And it seems that he (may Allah be pleased with him) saw that applying it was difficult because the people were all contrary to the Sunnah. The question is not applicable, although there is a possibility, but it is not applicable because the man did not ask except seeking good. Yes.