Guidance for Imams Who Delay the Prayer
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Some of our listening brothers have noticed that some of the Imams, Your Eminence, may Allah reward you with good, delay the Fajr and 'Asr prayers. When some of them are advised, they say: "This is part of the trial and the test." So what is your guidance, Your Eminence, for both the Imams and the followers? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
It is obligatory for everyone to take care of all five prayers. One must take care of them and perform them in their times, in congregation. The Imam must be careful, and every Muslim must be careful to maintain the prayer in its time. The Imam must be careful so as not to inconvenience the people; he should not rush, nor should he delay. He should seek to follow the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and seek what has been designated by the Waqf authorities regarding the times, and what is close to them, so that he does not harm the worshippers by rushing or by delaying. He should seek the times that have been designated for him and made clear to him, seeking in them the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Likewise, the follower should race to all the prayers: Zuhr, 'Asr, Maghrib, 'Isha', and Fajr. He should not delay. Fajr and 'Asr are also to be taken care of like the other times. It is not permissible to be lax in this, neither for the Imam, nor for the follower, nor for women, nor for men. It is obligatory for everyone to take care of the times. The man must pray them all in congregation; he must pray them all in congregation. We ask Allah for guidance for everyone.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good and do you good.
Some of our listening brothers have noticed that some of the Imams, Your Eminence, may Allah reward you with good, delay the Fajr and 'Asr prayers. When some of them are advised, they say: "This is part of the trial and the test." So what is your guidance, Your Eminence, for both the Imams and the followers? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
It is obligatory for everyone to take care of all five prayers. One must take care of them and perform them in their times, in congregation. The Imam must be careful, and every Muslim must be careful to maintain the prayer in its time. The Imam must be careful so as not to inconvenience the people; he should not rush, nor should he delay. He should seek to follow the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and seek what has been designated by the Waqf authorities regarding the times, and what is close to them, so that he does not harm the worshippers by rushing or by delaying. He should seek the times that have been designated for him and made clear to him, seeking in them the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Likewise, the follower should race to all the prayers: Zuhr, 'Asr, Maghrib, 'Isha', and Fajr. He should not delay. Fajr and 'Asr are also to be taken care of like the other times. It is not permissible to be lax in this, neither for the Imam, nor for the follower, nor for women, nor for men. It is obligatory for everyone to take care of the times. The man must pray them all in congregation; he must pray them all in congregation. We ask Allah for guidance for everyone.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good and do you good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.