What is the ruling on a traveler who prays Zuhr and 'Asr shortened behind a resident who is praying Zuhr?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner: Well, here is a question. A man made a mistake in his prayer with the imam in Zuhr, meaning he did the opposite of what you did. He prayed with the resident and shortened, meaning he followed the resident in the second rak'ah. He only prayed two rak'ahs, then prayed 'Asr afterwards. Then, when he sought a ruling, they told him that his prayer was a mistake and he must repeat Zuhr and then 'Asr, in the order of the prayers.
The Shaykh : Yes, there is a difference here. This man, without doubt, is a traveler who followed the resident and then shortened. This is either because he took a ruling from a scholar, thinking he was a scholar, or he did not take a ruling but rather acted on his ignorance.
The questioner: Acted on his ignorance.
The Shaykh : Yes. If it was the first case, he does not repeat the prayer. If it was the second case, he repeats the prayer.
The questioner: If he took a ruling, he does not repeat.
The Shaykh : He does not repeat.
The questioner: But if he was ignorant.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner: He repeats the 'Asr prayer.
The Shaykh : He repeats the Zuhr prayer and he repeats the 'Asr prayer.
The questioner: In the order of the prayers.
The Shaykh : Yes, because your question is about the one who prayed Zuhr.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Shortened behind the resident imam. So here, do we consider him mistaken or correct? When is he mistaken and when is he correct? He is correct if he took a ruling from a scholar, even if that scholar was mistaken from the perspective of another scholar, like me, for example. But he is not burdened with more than this. So if he took a ruling, he is excused[Al-Baqarah 2:286]. If it was later found that this ruling was incorrect, that one should not pray shortened behind the resident. But if he acted on his own head, as we said, and ruled for himself based on his ignorance, then he made a mistake and his prayer is invalid. And whatever is built upon what is invalid is invalid. So the 'Asr prayer, if he prayed it shortened, is valid, but it came after the prayer he prayed which was invalid. So he must repeat the first and the second.
The questioner: May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Yes, there is a difference here. This man, without doubt, is a traveler who followed the resident and then shortened. This is either because he took a ruling from a scholar, thinking he was a scholar, or he did not take a ruling but rather acted on his ignorance.
The questioner: Acted on his ignorance.
The Shaykh : Yes. If it was the first case, he does not repeat the prayer. If it was the second case, he repeats the prayer.
The questioner: If he took a ruling, he does not repeat.
The Shaykh : He does not repeat.
The questioner: But if he was ignorant.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner: He repeats the 'Asr prayer.
The Shaykh : He repeats the Zuhr prayer and he repeats the 'Asr prayer.
The questioner: In the order of the prayers.
The Shaykh : Yes, because your question is about the one who prayed Zuhr.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Shortened behind the resident imam. So here, do we consider him mistaken or correct? When is he mistaken and when is he correct? He is correct if he took a ruling from a scholar, even if that scholar was mistaken from the perspective of another scholar, like me, for example. But he is not burdened with more than this. So if he took a ruling, he is excused
Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَاThe questioner: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.