Is the prayer valid for one who prays to the left of the imam?
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Question:
The hadith of Ibn Abbas: "I spent the night at my aunt Maymunah's house. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) got up to pray during the night, so I got up to pray with him. I stood to his left, so he took my head and positioned me to his right." Does this indicate the virtue of the right side?
Answer:
... If there is one person, he lines up to his right. But if there are more people, to his right and left, that is the Sunnah. If there is only one person, he lines up to his right; this is based on the hadith of Ibn Abbas. The correct view is that the prayer is not invalidated, but he should line up to his right. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order him to repeat the beginning of the prayer; he turned him around but did not order him to repeat the beginning of the prayer. However, it is not permissible for one person to line up to his left; he should line up to his right. If they are a group, they line up to his right and left. As for the hadith of Jabir and Jibr, they came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and lined up with him in some of the prayers, to his right and left, so he took them and placed them behind him, peace and blessings be upon him.
Q: If one is excused due to ignorance, does he turn him from his left?
A: It is not permissible, but the prayer is not invalidated. He was not ordered to repeat the beginning of it.
Q: If he completes the prayer while on the left?
A: It is valid. The stronger view is that it is valid, but he is taught. For example, when he took off his sandals after being informed that there was impurity on them, and he did not repeat the beginning of the prayer. He did not know the ruling until Jibril taught him. He took off his sandals, and the people took off their sandals, and he did not repeat the prayer. This indicates that if one prays and does not know about the impurity, his prayer is valid.
The hadith of Ibn Abbas: "I spent the night at my aunt Maymunah's house. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) got up to pray during the night, so I got up to pray with him. I stood to his left, so he took my head and positioned me to his right." Does this indicate the virtue of the right side?
Answer:
... If there is one person, he lines up to his right. But if there are more people, to his right and left, that is the Sunnah. If there is only one person, he lines up to his right; this is based on the hadith of Ibn Abbas. The correct view is that the prayer is not invalidated, but he should line up to his right. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order him to repeat the beginning of the prayer; he turned him around but did not order him to repeat the beginning of the prayer. However, it is not permissible for one person to line up to his left; he should line up to his right. If they are a group, they line up to his right and left. As for the hadith of Jabir and Jibr, they came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and lined up with him in some of the prayers, to his right and left, so he took them and placed them behind him, peace and blessings be upon him.
Q: If one is excused due to ignorance, does he turn him from his left?
A: It is not permissible, but the prayer is not invalidated. He was not ordered to repeat the beginning of it.
Q: If he completes the prayer while on the left?
A: It is valid. The stronger view is that it is valid, but he is taught. For example, when he took off his sandals after being informed that there was impurity on them, and he did not repeat the beginning of the prayer. He did not know the ruling until Jibril taught him. He took off his sandals, and the people took off their sandals, and he did not repeat the prayer. This indicates that if one prays and does not know about the impurity, his prayer is valid.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.