Reading from the author's words, with commentary on them and collation of the manuscripts: "And Sa'id also narrated from Ibn Mas'ud: that he used to dislike praying in the *taq*
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The reader: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon His servant and Messenger, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.
The Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his book *Iqtida' al-Sirat al-Mustaqim*: "And Sa'id also narrated from Ibn Mas'ud:. And 'Ubayd ibn Abi al-Ja'd said: Riyad as-Salihin 1080".
The Shaykh : The *taq* means the mihrab, meaning it is disliked for a person to enter the mihrab because it resembles the action of the people of churches, and because it is hidden from some of the followers, so it does not lead to complete following of the imam. Half an hour only. Yes.
The reader: "And 'Ubayd ibn Abi al-Ja'd said:. This means the *taq*ats. And in this chapter there are many reports from the Companions. And these matters that we have mentioned: some of them are in the category of being well-known, and we have not known anyone to contradict what we have mentioned from the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), regarding the dislike of imitating the disbelievers and the non-Arabs in general, even though there is disagreement and interpretation in some of these specific issues, and this is not the place for it.
And this is just as they are in agreement on following the Book and the Sunnah, even though there may be disagreement in some specific issues due to interpretation.
So it is known that they agreed on the dislike of imitating the disbelievers and the non-Arabs.
The third aspect in establishing the consensus:
What was mentioned by the majority of the scholars of Islam from the predecessors, the followed imams and their followers, in explaining the prohibition of certain things by the reason of differing from the disbelievers, or differing from the Christians, or differing from the non-Arabs, and this is more than can be exhaustively listed, and no one who has the slightest look into jurisprudence has not heard a portion of this, and this, after reflection and consideration, begets necessary knowledge, by the agreement of the imams, on the prohibition of conforming to the disbelievers".
The Shaykh : The imams in your view, or the Ummah?
The student: The imams.
The Shaykh : In my view, it is the Ummah. Did he not point to a copy?
The student: He did not point.
The Shaykh : Put it down, point to it, a copy.
The reader: "By the agreement of the imams, on the prohibition of conforming to the disbelievers and the non-Arabs, and the command to differ from them.
And I will mention from this some points in the schools of the imams followed today, along with what preceded in the course of the discussion about more than one of the scholars.
Among these is that the established principle in the school of Abu Hanifa is that delaying the prayer is better than hastening it, except in places they exclude, such as excluding the cloudy day, and hastening the midday prayer in winter - even though other scholars say: the principle is that hastening is better - they recommend delaying the dawn, afternoon, night, and midday prayers, except in winter when it is not cloudy. Then they said: it is recommended to hasten the sunset prayer; because delaying it is disliked for what it contains of imitating the Jews, and this is also the saying of the other imams, and this reason is explicitly stated as mentioned before. And they also said: it is disliked to prostrate in the *taq*; because it resembles the practice of the People of the Book, in terms of specifying the imam with a place, unlike if his prostration is in the *taq*, and this is also the apparent school of Ahmad and others, and there are authentic reports from the Companions: Ibn Mas'ud, and others".
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Here, what is it?
The student: This is not understood.
The Shaykh : The *taq* of the mihrab.
The student: He said: "And they also said: it is disliked to prostrate in the *taq*, because it resembles the practice of the People of the Book"
The Shaykh : What?
The student: "And they also said: it is disliked to prostrate in the *taq*, because it resembles the practice of the People of the Book".
The Shaykh : Yes, they pray in the *taq*.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : How?
The student: The editor indicated that the expression is confused.
The Shaykh : In my view, the apparent is that it was dropped, as mentioned before, "And they also said."
The reader: "And they also said: it is disliked to prostrate in the *taq*, because it resembles the practice of the People of the Book, in terms of specifying the imam with a place, unlike if his prostration is in the *taq*, and this is also the apparent school of Ahmad and others".
The Shaykh :"Unlike if his prostration is in the *taq*" means it does not harm, meaning if he is outside the *taq* and when he prostrates he is in the *taq*, so the disliked thing is to enter the whole *taq*.
The student: The first one, it is disliked to prostrate in the *taq*, meaning the prayer itself.
The Shaykh : Yes, I do.
The student: What is meant by prostration?
The Shaykh : We do not have prostration.
The student: And they also said: it is disliked to prostrate in the *taq*, this is the first one.
The Shaykh : Yes, yes.
The student: And the second...
The Shaykh : The first prostration, the prayer is intended, the prayer is intended, yes.
The reader: "And there are authentic reports from the Companions: Ibn Mas'ud and others. And they said there is no harm in praying with a suspended mushaf or a suspended sword in front of him, because they are not worshipped, and considering this, the dislike is established. And there is no harm in praying on a carpet with images, because it contains belittling of the images, and one does not prostrate on the images because it resembles the worship of images. And the dislike was stated generally in the principle because the one praying is honored".
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: ... .
The reader: It says in the printed edition, "added for Allah."
The Shaykh : We do not have it, meaning the honored one is honored when he prostrates, whether to Allah or to an idol. The important thing is that prostrating on something with an image, if he prostrates on it, it is disliked. And if he does not prostrate on it, it does not harm, except if it occupies him such that he contemplates it and looks at it, then here it is disliked because of its occupying him from the presence of the heart. Yes.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon His servant and Messenger, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.
The Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his book *Iqtida' al-Sirat al-Mustaqim*: "And Sa'id also narrated from Ibn Mas'ud:
That he used to dislike praying in the *taq*, and he said: It is in the churches, so do not imitate the People of the Book
أنه كان يَكره الصلاة في الطاق، وقال : إنه في الكنائس ، فلا تشبهوا بأهل الكتابThe Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)
كان أصحاب محمد صلى الله عليه وسلمThe Shaykh : The *taq* means the mihrab, meaning it is disliked for a person to enter the mihrab because it resembles the action of the people of churches, and because it is hidden from some of the followers, so it does not lead to complete following of the imam. Half an hour only. Yes.
The reader: "And 'Ubayd ibn Abi al-Ja'd said:
The Companions of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say: One of the signs of the Hour is that slaughterhouses will be established in the mosque
كان أصحاب محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم يقولون : إن من أشراط الساعة أن تُتخذ المذابح في المسجدAnd this is just as they are in agreement on following the Book and the Sunnah, even though there may be disagreement in some specific issues due to interpretation.
So it is known that they agreed on the dislike of imitating the disbelievers and the non-Arabs.
The third aspect in establishing the consensus:
What was mentioned by the majority of the scholars of Islam from the predecessors, the followed imams and their followers, in explaining the prohibition of certain things by the reason of differing from the disbelievers, or differing from the Christians, or differing from the non-Arabs, and this is more than can be exhaustively listed, and no one who has the slightest look into jurisprudence has not heard a portion of this, and this, after reflection and consideration, begets necessary knowledge, by the agreement of the imams, on the prohibition of conforming to the disbelievers".
The Shaykh : The imams in your view, or the Ummah?
The student: The imams.
The Shaykh : In my view, it is the Ummah. Did he not point to a copy?
The student: He did not point.
The Shaykh : Put it down, point to it, a copy.
The reader: "By the agreement of the imams, on the prohibition of conforming to the disbelievers and the non-Arabs, and the command to differ from them.
And I will mention from this some points in the schools of the imams followed today, along with what preceded in the course of the discussion about more than one of the scholars.
Among these is that the established principle in the school of Abu Hanifa is that delaying the prayer is better than hastening it, except in places they exclude, such as excluding the cloudy day, and hastening the midday prayer in winter - even though other scholars say: the principle is that hastening is better - they recommend delaying the dawn, afternoon, night, and midday prayers, except in winter when it is not cloudy. Then they said: it is recommended to hasten the sunset prayer; because delaying it is disliked for what it contains of imitating the Jews, and this is also the saying of the other imams, and this reason is explicitly stated as mentioned before. And they also said: it is disliked to prostrate in the *taq*; because it resembles the practice of the People of the Book, in terms of specifying the imam with a place, unlike if his prostration is in the *taq*, and this is also the apparent school of Ahmad and others, and there are authentic reports from the Companions: Ibn Mas'ud, and others".
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Here, what is it?
The student: This is not understood.
The Shaykh : The *taq* of the mihrab.
The student: He said: "And they also said: it is disliked to prostrate in the *taq*, because it resembles the practice of the People of the Book"
The Shaykh : What?
The student: "And they also said: it is disliked to prostrate in the *taq*, because it resembles the practice of the People of the Book".
The Shaykh : Yes, they pray in the *taq*.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : How?
The student: The editor indicated that the expression is confused.
The Shaykh : In my view, the apparent is that it was dropped, as mentioned before, "And they also said."
The reader: "And they also said: it is disliked to prostrate in the *taq*, because it resembles the practice of the People of the Book, in terms of specifying the imam with a place, unlike if his prostration is in the *taq*, and this is also the apparent school of Ahmad and others".
The Shaykh :"Unlike if his prostration is in the *taq*" means it does not harm, meaning if he is outside the *taq* and when he prostrates he is in the *taq*, so the disliked thing is to enter the whole *taq*.
The student: The first one, it is disliked to prostrate in the *taq*, meaning the prayer itself.
The Shaykh : Yes, I do.
The student: What is meant by prostration?
The Shaykh : We do not have prostration.
The student: And they also said: it is disliked to prostrate in the *taq*, this is the first one.
The Shaykh : Yes, yes.
The student: And the second...
The Shaykh : The first prostration, the prayer is intended, the prayer is intended, yes.
The reader: "And there are authentic reports from the Companions: Ibn Mas'ud and others. And they said there is no harm in praying with a suspended mushaf or a suspended sword in front of him, because they are not worshipped, and considering this, the dislike is established. And there is no harm in praying on a carpet with images, because it contains belittling of the images, and one does not prostrate on the images because it resembles the worship of images. And the dislike was stated generally in the principle because the one praying is honored".
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: ... .
The reader: It says in the printed edition, "added for Allah."
The Shaykh : We do not have it, meaning the honored one is honored when he prostrates, whether to Allah or to an idol. The important thing is that prostrating on something with an image, if he prostrates on it, it is disliked. And if he does not prostrate on it, it does not harm, except if it occupies him such that he contemplates it and looks at it, then here it is disliked because of its occupying him from the presence of the heart. Yes.