Is the prayer performed alone behind the rows in an obligatory prayer valid?
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Question:
We ask your Eminence to inform us about a man praying alone behind the rows in an obligatory prayer: is it valid? Or must he repeat it, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the man he saw praying alone behind the rows to repeat it? Is this hadith authentic, or not authentic, or abrogated, or does it conflict with other hadiths on this matter? We ask for a clear and sufficient explanation, because there has been much debate on this.
And is it permissible for one who comes to the mosque and finds the first row full, and fears missing a rak'ah, to pull a person from the middle of the row? Or should he say the takbir and enter the prayer? Or should he wait? Knowing that if he waits, he fears missing a rak'ah? Please issue a ruling, may Allah bless you.
Answer:
It is not permissible for a Muslim to pray alone behind the rows; because of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Bulugh al-Maram 2:327. And if he prays alone, he must repeat it, because of this hadith, and the hadith you mentioned in the question, and they are two authentic hadiths.
And he must not pull anyone from the row; because the hadith reported on this matter is weak. He must look for a gap in the row to enter, or line up to the right of the imam if that is possible. If that is not possible for him, he must wait until someone is found to line up with him, even if he misses a rak'ah. This is the most correct of the scholars' opinions, based on the mentioned hadiths and others that came with this meaning.
And it is obligatory upon the people of knowledge, in matters of disagreement, to refer them to Allah and His Messenger and not to follow scholars blindly in that; because of the saying of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) : [al-Nisa: 59] and His saying (Mighty and Majestic): [al-Shura: 10]. And success is from Allah.
We ask your Eminence to inform us about a man praying alone behind the rows in an obligatory prayer: is it valid? Or must he repeat it, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the man he saw praying alone behind the rows to repeat it? Is this hadith authentic, or not authentic, or abrogated, or does it conflict with other hadiths on this matter? We ask for a clear and sufficient explanation, because there has been much debate on this.
And is it permissible for one who comes to the mosque and finds the first row full, and fears missing a rak'ah, to pull a person from the middle of the row? Or should he say the takbir and enter the prayer? Or should he wait? Knowing that if he waits, he fears missing a rak'ah? Please issue a ruling, may Allah bless you.
Answer:
It is not permissible for a Muslim to pray alone behind the rows; because of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
The prayer of a person who prays alone behind the row is not accepted.
لا صلاة لمنفرد خلف الصفAnd he must not pull anyone from the row; because the hadith reported on this matter is weak. He must look for a gap in the row to enter, or line up to the right of the imam if that is possible. If that is not possible for him, he must wait until someone is found to line up with him, even if he misses a rak'ah. This is the most correct of the scholars' opinions, based on the mentioned hadiths and others that came with this meaning.
And it is obligatory upon the people of knowledge, in matters of disagreement, to refer them to Allah and His Messenger and not to follow scholars blindly in that; because of the saying of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) :
O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًاAnd in anything over which you disagree - its ruling is [to be referred] to Allah.
وَمَا اخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِيهِ مِن شَيْءٍ فَحُكْمُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.