#85. THE IMAAM THAT DELAYS HIS RISE FROM RUKU’U THAT A COMING WORSHIPPER MAY GET THE RAKA’A
” Enlighten me.
When I am privilege to lead a congregational prayer, I am in the habit of delaying in ruku’u when I notice someone is about to join the prayer In order to make him have the rakat.
What is the position of the deen on this. JazaakAllaahu khyran”
ANSWER
Assalaamu alaykum warahnatuaah wabarakaatuh
Beloved one, may Allah reward you abundantly for your Inquisition into this matter and bless your knowledge, aameen.
Know, may Allaah forgive us and you, that this matter is among those about which the Ulamaa have differed.
The Maliki position on this is that it is disliked (makruh) that the Imaam prolongs his ruku’u because of the approaching person unless if he envisages some Mafsadah.
Imaam Ad-Dardir – rahimahullaah – said:
“It is disliked for the Imaam to prolong the Ruku’u due to the one who is upon joining the Salaat with him so that he may catch up with the raka’a. This is if he does not envisage any harm from the one who is coming in if he doesn’t prolong, or envisage the unacceptance of his Salaat should he assume that the missed raka’a is a part of the Prayer..”
Ref: ‘Sharh Mukhtasar Khalil’
Implying that the Malik is considered it permissible that he prolonged the ruku’u if he feels that the one who is coming in to join the Salaat is ignorant of the rulings of the Salaat and may count the missed raka’a as one of those he meets, thereby invalidating his Salaat.
The accepted position in the Shaafi’i school is that it were permissible with certain conditions that were mentioned by Imaam An-Nawawi – rahimahullaah – in the Majmu’u:
“What is correct is the unconditional preference of prolonging and waiting with the conditions that the one who was coming to join the Salaat (Masbuq) has already stepped into the Masjid at the moment of waiting; that the waiting is not unreasonably prolonged; and that he intends by it to draw close to Allah – ta’aala – and not merely as a way of showing love, respect or preference to the approaching person.”
The Hanbali position varies in this regard. Imaam Ibn Qudaamah Al-Maqdisi – rahimahullaah – said:
“If he senses an approaching person who intends to pray with him while he is in ruku’u and the jama’a behind him are many, it is disliked (makruh) that he waits for him. This is because it is unimaginable that there wouldn’t be among them one who that will be difficult upon. But if the Jama’a behind him are few, and in his waiting there is difficulty upon them, this is disliked too. This is because those who are already with him are greater in sanctity than the one who approaches. He should therefore not make difficulty for them due merely to his own benefit. But if there wouldn’t be diffiçulty based on an unprolonged waiting, then (Imaam) Ahmad has said that he should prolong it as far as it wouldn’t be difficulty on those behind him. This is the Madh’hab of Abi Mujliz, Ash-Sha’abi, An-Nakha’i, Abdurrahman Ibn Abi Layla, Is’haaq and Abu Thawr_.
While Al-Awzaa’i, Ash-Shaafi’i and Abu Hanifah hold that he must not wait for him because in it is a shirk in Ibaadah (intention). It is therefore not legal just like Ar-Riyaa. Our position is that such a waiting is beneficial and not a difficulty, and therefore legal…”_
Ref: Al-Mughni
This shows us adept and subtle our Ulamaa were. While the Malikis looked at the Mafaasid, the Shaafi’s gave conditions and the Hanbalis looked at it from the perspective of difficulty on the other followers.
What is strongest, and Allah knows best, is the position held by the Shaafi’s as presented by An-Nawawi – rahimahullaah.
Allaahu A’alam
Baarakallaahu feekum
Jazaakumullaahu khàyràn.
