Benefits of the Hadith: (Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray while carrying Umamah, the daughter of Zaynab...)
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The Shaykh : In this hadith, there are many benefits. The highest, most important, and greatest of them is the good character of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), as he used to be gentle with the children to this extent. Among the benefits are: being gentle with children, having compassion for them, and being humble toward them, for this is what softens the heart and makes it tender. Another benefit is the permissibility of slight movement during prayer, because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) used to carry her when he stood and put her down when he prostrated. This is an action; if it had invalidated the prayer, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would not have done it. But is it permissible or not? We say: in case of necessity, even to silence a child, it is permissible. Without necessity, it is disliked. Based on this, we say: movement in prayer that is not of the same type as the prayer is divided into five categories: obligatory, recommended, permissible, disliked, and forbidden. It is one of the issues in which the five rulings apply. It is obligatory if the validity of the prayer depends on it, meaning if the prayer is not valid without it, it becomes obligatory. How is that? It has many forms. One is: if a person sees impurity on his garment and he has another garment, he must move. What does he do? He removes the garment, because if he kept it on while knowing about the impurity, the prayer would be invalid. Another is: if a person strives to face the qiblah and turns in a direction other than the qiblah, and then a person comes and informs him that his direction is opposite the qiblah, what is obligatory for him? It is obligatory for him to face the qiblah. This happened to the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in the mosque of Quba. They were praying the Fajr prayer facing the House of Sacred Worship based on the original ruling, when a person came to them and said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) has been revealed the Qur'an and commanded to face the Ka'bah. When he said this to them, they turned to face it. How was their turning? Was it to the right or to the left? It was a complete turn, because they turned around, so their backs were toward the House of Sacred Worship and their faces were toward the Ka'bah, a complete turn. The place of the imam became the place of the followers. This action is obligatory. Another is: if a man has no garment, he prays naked. He prays naked. [At-Taghabun 64:16] During the prayer, the servant brought him the garment. Does he say: "By Allah, I entered the prayer and I am not going to move again?" No, he must move and put on the garment. So, what is the criterion for obligatory movement? It is that the validity of the prayer depends on it. As for the recommended, it is that the perfection of the prayer depends on it. For example, moving forward to the row. A man is praying in the second row, and a space opens up in the first row. We say: move forward to it. Moving forward here is recommended because it is part of the perfection of the prayer. Also, if two men are praying, whether in congregation or not, and a third man comes to join them, there must be movement. Is the movement here a sunnah or obligatory? It is a sunnah. It is for the imam to move forward to be in front of the followers. Some people ask: Does the one entering say takbir before the follower pulls him in, or does the imam move forward, or does he wait until the follower pulls him in, or does the imam move forward? Which is it? Do you understand the question, people? A man enters and two are praying; he will pray with them. Do we say: move the imam forward then say takbir, or pull the follower back then say takbir, or say takbir then move the imam forward, or pull the follower back? The first or the second? The first. The first is better. Why? Because if the imam moves forward or the follower is pulled back, he will avoid movement in his prayer. He will enter and the matter will be settled. It is not said that this necessitates the follower being alone, because this does not harm. This is a small part. When Ibn 'Abbas was moved by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) from the left to the right when he passed behind him, was he alone or not?
The student: He was alone.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is a unique narration, but this uniqueness does not harm; this is a uniqueness that does not harm. So, if we ask about the issue we mentioned, we say: The follower delayed, or the imam advanced before he said the takbir. Is the follower’s movement from the left to the right, when there are two, obligatory or recommended? If you say it is recommended, you are wrong. If you say it is obligatory, you are wrong. If you say it is forbidden, you are more wrong. If you say it is disliked, you are less wrong. We say: If we hold that the follower’s prayer to the left of the imam is invalid while the right side is empty, then the movement is obligatory because the validity of the prayer depends on it. And if we hold that it is a recommended practice (sunnah) because being to his right is better than being to his left, and the prayer is valid, then the movement is recommended. There is scholarly disagreement on this issue, and the stronger position is that the follower standing to the right of the imam is better, but it is not obligatory, and that the follower’s prayer to the left of the imam is valid while the right side is empty. Why? Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not command it in that regard. The most that is there is that he did it. The mere action, the mere action, does not indicate obligation. This is a principle of the principles of jurisprudence: “The mere action of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) does not indicate obligation”. If someone says: Does the fact that the Messenger moved and Ibn ‘Abbas moved not indicate obligation? We say: If this movement were forbidden, meaning excessive to the point of invalidating the prayer, we would say this indicates obligation. But this is a slight movement to complete the prayer. So the stronger position in this issue is that the prayer is valid to the left of the imam while the right side is empty, when there are two. This is the choice of our Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahman (may Allah have mercy on him), and its application to the principles is clear, and its application to the principles is clear, as you heard. What remains is the disliked movement: it is the slight movement without need. It is the slight movement without need. This is disliked. An example is a person who stands up to adjust his ghutrah, taqiyah, or ‘iqal, yes, or something similar. A movement that has no need is disliked. It diminishes the prayer but does not invalidate it. If it is asked: Is it among them that he scratches his skin if it becomes itchy? Is it disliked or not disliked? We say: Scratching the skin if it becomes itchy is better than leaving it. Meaning, the movement is recommended, because the preoccupation of the person’s heart due to the itching is greater than his preoccupation with the movement of his hand to cool the itch. And it is known that we commit the lesser before the greater. Now, if someone says: The person always scratches, and the itching moves to another place, is that not so? Yes, indeed. There is no problem. I and you are the same. This applies to me and to you. No doubt. Does he follow it? He does not follow it unless it continues and becomes excessive. He does not follow it unless it continues and becomes excessive, for then it is forbidden. And what remains? The permissible is the slight movement for a need, or the excessive movement for dire necessity. The slight for a need, or the excessive for dire necessity. The slight for a need, do you know it? Like the itch and the like. The excessive for dire necessity, like a person upon whom a lion attacks while he is praying, and he wants to defend himself, and that requires a lot of action. The action here is permissible or not permissible? Permissible for dire necessity. As for if the action is excessive and continuous without dire necessity, it invalidates the prayer. Now, the forbidden is the excessive and continuous without dire necessity. The excessive and continuous without dire necessity is forbidden and invalidates the prayer. If someone asks: What is the criterion for excessive and slight? We say: The criterion is custom and common practice. If we see this man moving with many movements that custom does not allow, then it is excessive. And it can be said that the criterion is: that one who sees him doing these actions thinks he is not in prayer. Meaning, this is what contradicts the prayer. From the benefits of the hadith of Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him): The permissibility of bringing children into the mosque. Its indication is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) entered with this girl. He entered with this girl. He entered with this girl. It is permissible to bring children to the mosque, but with the condition that no harm or disturbance is feared from them. Yes, harm or disturbance. No harm or disturbance is feared from them. If that is feared from them, then they are prevented. But how is the way to prevent them? How is the way to prevent them? Do we prevent them directly, or do we contact their fathers? The second is better. The second is better: to contact the fathers. Because if you prevent this boy and he stands up and screams at the door, or you hit him, if he is one who is disciplined by hitting, this will affect whom? His father. Himself. Clear. But even his father will say: Why didn’t you teach me? I prevent my children? Not you? But if he has no father known, then any person who sees him harming people and disturbing them has the right to remove him. But if there is no harm from them, then no. And from the benefits of this hadith, or we take questions.
So fear Allah as much as you are able
فاتقوا الله ما استطعتمThe student: He was alone.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is a unique narration, but this uniqueness does not harm; this is a uniqueness that does not harm. So, if we ask about the issue we mentioned, we say: The follower delayed, or the imam advanced before he said the takbir. Is the follower’s movement from the left to the right, when there are two, obligatory or recommended? If you say it is recommended, you are wrong. If you say it is obligatory, you are wrong. If you say it is forbidden, you are more wrong. If you say it is disliked, you are less wrong. We say: If we hold that the follower’s prayer to the left of the imam is invalid while the right side is empty, then the movement is obligatory because the validity of the prayer depends on it. And if we hold that it is a recommended practice (sunnah) because being to his right is better than being to his left, and the prayer is valid, then the movement is recommended. There is scholarly disagreement on this issue, and the stronger position is that the follower standing to the right of the imam is better, but it is not obligatory, and that the follower’s prayer to the left of the imam is valid while the right side is empty. Why? Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not command it in that regard. The most that is there is that he did it. The mere action, the mere action, does not indicate obligation. This is a principle of the principles of jurisprudence: “The mere action of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) does not indicate obligation”. If someone says: Does the fact that the Messenger moved and Ibn ‘Abbas moved not indicate obligation? We say: If this movement were forbidden, meaning excessive to the point of invalidating the prayer, we would say this indicates obligation. But this is a slight movement to complete the prayer. So the stronger position in this issue is that the prayer is valid to the left of the imam while the right side is empty, when there are two. This is the choice of our Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahman (may Allah have mercy on him), and its application to the principles is clear, and its application to the principles is clear, as you heard. What remains is the disliked movement: it is the slight movement without need. It is the slight movement without need. This is disliked. An example is a person who stands up to adjust his ghutrah, taqiyah, or ‘iqal, yes, or something similar. A movement that has no need is disliked. It diminishes the prayer but does not invalidate it. If it is asked: Is it among them that he scratches his skin if it becomes itchy? Is it disliked or not disliked? We say: Scratching the skin if it becomes itchy is better than leaving it. Meaning, the movement is recommended, because the preoccupation of the person’s heart due to the itching is greater than his preoccupation with the movement of his hand to cool the itch. And it is known that we commit the lesser before the greater. Now, if someone says: The person always scratches, and the itching moves to another place, is that not so? Yes, indeed. There is no problem. I and you are the same. This applies to me and to you. No doubt. Does he follow it? He does not follow it unless it continues and becomes excessive. He does not follow it unless it continues and becomes excessive, for then it is forbidden. And what remains? The permissible is the slight movement for a need, or the excessive movement for dire necessity. The slight for a need, or the excessive for dire necessity. The slight for a need, do you know it? Like the itch and the like. The excessive for dire necessity, like a person upon whom a lion attacks while he is praying, and he wants to defend himself, and that requires a lot of action. The action here is permissible or not permissible? Permissible for dire necessity. As for if the action is excessive and continuous without dire necessity, it invalidates the prayer. Now, the forbidden is the excessive and continuous without dire necessity. The excessive and continuous without dire necessity is forbidden and invalidates the prayer. If someone asks: What is the criterion for excessive and slight? We say: The criterion is custom and common practice. If we see this man moving with many movements that custom does not allow, then it is excessive. And it can be said that the criterion is: that one who sees him doing these actions thinks he is not in prayer. Meaning, this is what contradicts the prayer. From the benefits of the hadith of Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him): The permissibility of bringing children into the mosque. Its indication is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) entered with this girl. He entered with this girl. He entered with this girl. It is permissible to bring children to the mosque, but with the condition that no harm or disturbance is feared from them. Yes, harm or disturbance. No harm or disturbance is feared from them. If that is feared from them, then they are prevented. But how is the way to prevent them? How is the way to prevent them? Do we prevent them directly, or do we contact their fathers? The second is better. The second is better: to contact the fathers. Because if you prevent this boy and he stands up and screams at the door, or you hit him, if he is one who is disciplined by hitting, this will affect whom? His father. Himself. Clear. But even his father will say: Why didn’t you teach me? I prevent my children? Not you? But if he has no father known, then any person who sees him harming people and disturbing them has the right to remove him. But if there is no harm from them, then no. And from the benefits of this hadith, or we take questions.