Scientific Issues Concerning the Adhan and Prayer

Question:
From Abdulaziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz, to the honorable brother / A. M. K. from Ha'il—may Allah grant him understanding and increase him in knowledge and faith.
Peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings. As for what follows:
Your noble letter reached me without a date—may Allah guide you to His path—containing your report about the group that exists in your region, who claim that there is no one on the face of the earth who knows the Shari'ah of Muhammad, the command of Muhammad, and the prohibition of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) other than them and those who follow their path. They also claim that people are not upon the way of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and they did not support any scholar except Al-Albani. They issue rulings contrary to the rulings of the scholars of Islam and the majority of scholars... etc. You requested information about what they accused you of, and whether the answer to their doubt was known?

And the answer:
There is no doubt that this group has learned something of the Shari'ah, but many things have been missed by them. So we ask Allah to guide us and them to His straight path, and to grant us and them beneficial knowledge, penetrating insight, the abandonment of opinion, and the return to the truth. Some of the Salaf said: "Half a scholar corrupts religion, half a doctor corrupts bodies, and half a grammarian corrupts language." This is only due to ignorance. Indeed, these people and their like, because of their knowledge of some things and their ignorance of many things of the Shari'ah, believe that they are correct in what they have adopted, in which they have contradicted the evidences of the Shari'ah from the Book and the Sunnah, and contradicted what the Salaf of the Ummah followed. We—may Allah will it—will answer you in detail about what you transmitted from them in your letter. We say:
First: Their statement: "The conditions of prayer, the pillars of prayer, the obligations of prayer, and the invalidators of prayer, none of this is established from the Messenger..." etc.:
The answer to this is that this statement indicates their great ignorance and their lack of knowledge of the Shari'ah. Indeed, among the considered conditions of prayer are: purity, facing the Qiblah, covering the 'awrah, intention, Islam and intellect, discernment, and the entry of the time. All of these have established evidences in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), which are known to young students. Likewise, the considered pillars of prayer, its obligations, and its invalidators, all of their evidences are clear from the Book and the Sunnah. Whoever reviews the words of the scholars and reviews the books of hadith, such as (Bulugh al-Maram) and (Muntakha al-Akhbar), will know the details of that.
As for their statement: "And prayer is not invalidated by much fidgeting, turning around, and the like":
This contradicts the consensus of the scholars. Indeed, much continuous, intentional fidgeting invalidates prayer according to all the scholars; because the one who does that is considered to be playing with his prayer, not being tranquil in it, and not being humble. The Noble Qur'an has indicated that among the characteristics of the believers is: humility in prayer. And it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he ordered the one who did not become tranquil in his prayer to repeat it.
As for their argument for what they said: that prayer is not invalidated by much fidgeting, by the turning of al-Idris in his prayer when the people increased in clapping, when he prayed with the people during the absence of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) at Banu 'Amr ibn 'Awf for reconciliation among them. So (peace and blessings be upon him) came, and al-Idris had already said the takbir of ihram for the people. When the people knew of his presence, they increased in clapping, so al-Idris turned and saw him (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gestured to him to remain in his place. So he praised Allah and extolled Him, then stepped back. The story is well known in the two Sahihs.
This is not a proof that much intentional fidgeting does not invalidate prayer. Rather, it indicates that there is no harm in turning around for a need, and this is with the neck, not the body.
Their argument with this matter for the permissibility of much fidgeting, or that it does not invalidate prayer, indicates great ignorance.
Second: Their contentment with a single taslim to the right:
This is said by most of the scholars, and it is not specific to them. But the correct view from the perspective of evidence is that it is necessary to have two taslims; because it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) by authentic hadiths that he used to say two taslims, and he said: . And regarding what they argued with, there are known answers among the scholars, mentioned by the explainers of hadith; such as the author of the book (Fath al-Bari), and (Nail al-Awtar), and others.
Third: Their statement: That "and His blessings" is added to the salam:
This is not specific to them, but some of the scholars said it. And it is established from the hadith of Wa'il ibn Hujr from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). But the many authentic hadiths do not contain this addition.
The correct view is that there is no harm in this addition, if the imam, the one praying alone, or the ma'mum does it at some times; in order to reconcile between the hadiths. But it is better to mostly restrict it to "and Allah's mercy"; acting in accordance with the many authentic hadiths. Perhaps the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) added it at some times. So if the Muslim does that at some times, he has utilized all the hadiths. And whoever leaves it, there is no harm, as our scholars and the majority of the scholars left it.
And it is known that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered Abu Mahdhura to do tarji' (prolonging the voice) in the adhan in Makkah, and this is something established. And yet, he did not order Bilal to do it while he was calling the adhan in front of him (peace and blessings be upon him) in al-Madinah.
The reconciliation between the hadiths in that is: that the adhan of Bilal is prescribed without tarji', and the adhan of Abu Mahdhura is prescribed with tarji'. So whoever does this or that, there is no harm.
Likewise, Bilal used to make the iqamah odd in front of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), except for the takbir and the wording of the iqamah. As for Abu Mahdhura, he used to make the iqamah even by the teaching of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). And each is a Sunnah, and there is no contradiction between the two hadiths. But a group of scholars held that the better is what Bilal did by the order of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) until Allah took him; because Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, does not choose for His Prophet except the best. And there is no blame on whoever does this or that.
The scholars call this difference (difference of variety), and it is permissible. From this category comes the variety of the opening supplication, the seeking of refuge, and the tashahhud. And every type of that which is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is permissible to act upon. And the difference is only in what is better of that—as mentioned before—in the types of adhan and iqamah.
And such issues should not be a cause of disagreement and confusion for the people; because they are issues known to the scholars, and the evidences in them are known. And disagreement in them does not harm; because every type of them is permissible—by the praise of Allah. But ignorance harms its people, and leads them into what does not concern them.
Fourth: As for their claim that it is not permissible to make a line a sutrah: This is their following of those who weakened the hadith of the line, and claimed that it is disturbed, like Ibn al-Salah and al-'Iraqi. The correct view is that it is a good hadith, with no disturbance, as al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar clarified in (Bulugh al-Maram), where he said when mentioning it: "It was narrated by Ahmad and Ibn Majah, and Ibn Hibban authenticated it. And he who claimed that it is disturbed did not hit the mark, but it is good."
Fifth: As for their statement: That a rak'ah is not caught by bowing: This is a weak statement that contradicts the authentic hadith, and what the four Imams and the majority of the scholars are upon. And it is established in Sahih al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, from Abu Bakrah al-Thaqafi (may Allah be pleased with him) that he caught the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) one day while he was bowing. So he bowed behind the row, then entered the row. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: . And he did not order him to make up the rak'ah in which he caught him in bowing. And that is only because he was excused; due to not catching the standing; because the standing is the place of reciting al-Fatihah. So when it was missed, al-Fatihah dropped off according to the majority for this authentic hadith. Even though the majority hold that al-Fatihah is not obligatory on the ma'mum, and that the imam bears it for him. But the apparent meaning of the authentic hadiths from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) indicates its obligation on the ma'mum. But if he did not catch the bowing, then it drops off from him according to both opinions.
Among those who hold the obligation of al-Fatihah on the ma'mum is Imam al-Shafi'i, and yet it drops off from him if he did not catch the standing. And some of the Salaf held that he repeats the rak'ah, but it is a weak, weaker opinion; because it explicitly contradicts the hadith of Abu Bakrah mentioned. And by this you know: that delving into such matters and causing confusion with them is not the affair of the people of knowledge.
Sixth: As for their insistence that people must observe the sitting of rest: this is a baseless statement, and I am not aware of any scholar who has held this view. The disagreement is only regarding whether it is recommended or not, and the correct view is that it is recommended, not obligatory. Some scholars have held that it is only recommended when there is a need, such as illness or advanced age, and they said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) only did it at the end of his life when he became fat and heavy.
This view is not good because there is no evidence for it. The correct view is that it is one of the Sunnahs of prayer, not one of its obligations. For this reason, the narrators of his prayer (peace and blessings be upon him) differed; some mentioned it, and some did not. The reason for this, and Allah knows best, is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not make it a consistent practice, so it was overlooked by some of the narrators. Some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) recommended it, and some did not recommend it, for the reason we mentioned, and Allah knows best.
Seventh: As for their claim that Jumu'ah has no conditions and that it is prayed in the desert:
This is a false statement that contradicts the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and his practice, and the practice of his Companions, and it contradicts the consensus of the respected scholars.
The desert areas existed during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and in the vicinity of Madinah, and they did not pray Jumu'ah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order them to pray Jumu'ah, nor did he order the sick and women who did not pray with him to pray Jumu'ah. Rather, all of these people prayed Zuhr. Likewise, travelers pray Zuhr.
What indicates this is what is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) in the two Sahihs and others, that during the Farewell Pilgrimage, his pilgrimage coincided with a Friday. So he delivered the sermon to the people and reminded them, then he ordered Bilal to call the adhan, then he called the iqamah, so he prayed Zuhr two rak'ahs, then he called the iqamah, so he prayed 'Asr two rak'ahs, combining and shortening them in the valley of 'Aranah. Then he went to the standing place, and that was on a Friday, and he did not pray Jumu'ah with the people. If he had prayed Jumu'ah with them, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would have transmitted it. And what indicates this is that the Companions named his prayer Zuhr, and he did not recite aloud, and he did not place the sermon after the adhan, and he did not deliver two sermons, but he delivered one sermon before the adhan. If he had prayed Jumu'ah, the Companions would have prayed it as Jumu'ah, and they would not have named it Zuhr, and he would have recited aloud in it, and placed the sermon after the adhan, and delivered two sermons as was his custom (peace and blessings be upon him) when he was in Madinah. And it is not recorded from him (peace and blessings be upon him) in any of his travels that he prayed Jumu'ah. If he had done so even once, his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would have transmitted it, for they transmitted from the Sunnah what is less than that.
And among the evidence for this is also what is established from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: , and this indicates that Jumu'ah is not caught except by one rak'ah, and that whoever catches less than that does not pray Jumu'ah, but prays Zuhr.
Eighth: As for their claim that the supplication after the adhan with the words: is an innovation: this is a false statement, and I do not know how it became ambiguous to them in this, while it is established in Sahih al-Bukhari from Jabir ibn 'Abdullah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . And in Sahih Muslim, from 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: .
Ninth: As for their claim that the phrase "Prayer is better than sleep" is only said in the first adhan:
This requires detail; because many scholars have believed that the intended meaning of the first adhan is the adhan that is called before dawn.
It is not so; rather, the intended meaning, in our view, is the adhan before the iqamah, which is called at the appearance of dawn. It is called the first adhan, and the iqamah is called the second adhan, as in the authentic hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: . The hadith.
So the intended meaning of the two adhans here is: the adhan and the iqamah, and this is clear to anyone who reflects on the Sunnah regarding this; because Abu Mahdhurah used to call the adhan with that in the adhan of Fajr in Makkah, and he reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to call with that in the adhan of Fajr, and Abu Mahdhurah called it the first adhan, so it is known that the intended meaning is the adhan before the iqamah.
And we do not know in any of the narrations of the hadith of Abu Mahdhurah that he used to call another adhan for Fajr before dawn, and this is only known from the hadith of Bilal specifically in Ramadan, in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: .
And we do not know that Bilal used to call before dawn with an adhan other than his adhan for Fajr except in Ramadan. Rather, he used to call the adhan for Fajr when dawn appeared. As for in Ramadan, he would cooperate with Ibn Umm Maktum, and he would call the adhan a little before dawn, then Ibn Umm Maktum would call the adhan for Fajr.
And even if Bilal called with it in his adhan before dawn, and Abu Mahdhurah called with it in his adhan for Fajr, it would be a matter of variation in diversity, so there is no harm in that. But it should be left out of one of them if the mu'adhdhin is the same person, so that the matter does not become ambiguous for the people of the town. If the people of the town agree to place it in the adhan of Fajr, there is no harm in that, as is the practice now in this Kingdom, and the scholars of da'wah have established it and they had no difficulty with it, and they are among the scholars known for honoring the Sunnah and preserving it, and calling to abandon what contradicts it. If some people agree to place it in the first one and not the second, there is no harm in that in terms of meaning, because there is no ambiguity, and because each of them is called (the adhan of Fajr). But acting according to the apparent meaning of the Sunnah requires that placing it in the adhan that is called after the appearance of dawn is more preferable and more appropriate, due to the hadiths regarding this among those who reflect on them and know that the iqamah is called the second adhan, and that the adhan is called the first adhan.
And in some hadiths, the adhan that is called on Friday after the imam sits on the minbar is named the first adhan; because after it is the iqamah, which is the second adhan. And it is established in Sahih al-Bukhari from 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) what indicates that the adhan of Fajr is called (the first adhan), and the iqamah is called (the second adhan), as mentioned before.
And I ask Allah to guide us and you and all our brothers to understanding in His religion and steadfastness upon it, and to rectify our deeds and our hearts all together, and to protect us and all the Muslims from speaking about Him without knowledge; indeed He is the All-Hearing, the Near.
And peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings.