What is the authenticity of Ibn Taymiyyah’s statement regarding the prayer of a person standing alone behind the rows?
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Q: From Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz to the honorable brother Dr. Sh. A. A. (may Allah keep him safe). Peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings. After that:
I refer to your inquiry, registered with the Department of Scientific Research and Ifta under number 3231 and dated 15/8/1407 AH, in which you ask for our opinion regarding the view of Ibn Taymiyyah that you have read concerning the ruling on the prayer of a person standing alone behind the rows.
A: I inform you that I have read the words of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him), which you attached to the letter, stating that the prayer of a person standing alone behind the rows is valid out of necessity if he finds no one to stand in a row with him. This is a strong opinion without a doubt, but the more correct opinion, and the one more in accordance with the apparent meaning of the Sunnah, is that it is not valid, for three reasons:
The first: The generality of his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying:Bulugh al-Maram 2:327 and he did not make an exception.
The second: That he (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the one who prayed alone behind the rows to repeat the prayer, and he did not ask him whether he had found someone or not. If he had been excused for not finding someone to stand in a row with him, he would have asked him. It is known that delaying clarification until the time of need is not permissible according to the scholars.
The third: That in this lies blocking the means to laxity in praying alone behind the rows under the claim that he did not find a space in the row, whereas it is the norm that if he had not been hasty, he would have found a space in the row or been able to stand to the right of the imam.
May Allah guide everyone to what He is pleased with, and peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
I refer to your inquiry, registered with the Department of Scientific Research and Ifta under number 3231 and dated 15/8/1407 AH, in which you ask for our opinion regarding the view of Ibn Taymiyyah that you have read concerning the ruling on the prayer of a person standing alone behind the rows.
A: I inform you that I have read the words of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him), which you attached to the letter, stating that the prayer of a person standing alone behind the rows is valid out of necessity if he finds no one to stand in a row with him. This is a strong opinion without a doubt, but the more correct opinion, and the one more in accordance with the apparent meaning of the Sunnah, is that it is not valid, for three reasons:
The first: The generality of his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying:
The prayer of a person who prays alone behind the row is not accepted.
لا صلاة لمنفرد خلف الصفThe second: That he (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the one who prayed alone behind the rows to repeat the prayer, and he did not ask him whether he had found someone or not. If he had been excused for not finding someone to stand in a row with him, he would have asked him. It is known that delaying clarification until the time of need is not permissible according to the scholars.
The third: That in this lies blocking the means to laxity in praying alone behind the rows under the claim that he did not find a space in the row, whereas it is the norm that if he had not been hasty, he would have found a space in the row or been able to stand to the right of the imam.
May Allah guide everyone to what He is pleased with, and peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.