Non-traveller praying behind a imam who is a traveller

 

What is the ruling regarding the traveller leading the congregational prayer with the residents praying behind him?. So for instance, in Isha prayer the traveller will lead and give salaam after 2 rakahs, and the residents following with continue to prayer after salaam. Is this correct?.

Praise be to Allaah.

The Sunnah indicates that
it is permissible for a non-traveller to pray behind a traveller, so long as
the non-traveller offers his prayer in full and does not shorten it when the
traveller imam does so. This was narrated in a hadeeth which is attributed
to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and in which
there is some weakness, but it is in accordance with what is understood by
the four madhhabs and others. 

It was narrated that
‘Imraan ibn Husayn (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: 

I went out on campaign with
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and
I was present with him at the conquest [of Makkah]. He stayed in Makkah for
eighteen days, praying only two rak’ahs [in each four-rak'ah prayer], and he
said: ‘O people of the city, pray with four rak’ahs, for we are people who
are travelling.’” 

Narrated by Abu Dawood (no.
1229); classed as da’eef (weak) by al-Albaani in Da’eef Abi Dawood. 

Maalik narrated in
al-Muwatta’ (2/206) from Ibn Shihaab from Saalim  ibn ‘Abd-Allaah from
his father from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab that when he came to Makkah, he would
lead them in praying two rak’ahs, then he would say: “O people of Makkah,
complete your prayer for we are people who are travelling.” 

Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said:  

The scholars are
unanimously agreed that if the non-resident prays behind a traveller, and
the traveller says the salaam after two rak’ahs, the non-traveller must
offer the prayer in full. It was narrated that ‘Imraan ibn Husayn said:  I
was present with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) at the conquest [of Makkah]. He stayed in Makkah for eighteen
days, praying only two rak’ahs [in each four-rak'ah prayer], and he said: ‘O
people of the city, pray with four rak’ahs, for we are people who are
travelling.’” Narrated by Abu Dawood. 

And because the prayer was
obligatory for him with four rak’ahs, so he does not have the right to omit
any of its rak’ahs, as would also have been the case if he had not been led
in prayer by a traveller. End quote. 

Al-Mughni
(2/64). 

Al-Kaasaani al-Hanafi (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

A non-traveller following a
traveller (in prayer) is valid … then when the imam says the salaam after
praying two rak'ahs, the non-traveller should not say the salaam, because he
still has to complete his prayer, and if he were to say the salaam (at this
point) his prayer would be invalidated. Rather he should stand up and
complete the prayer with four rak’ahs, because the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Complete it, O people of Makkah, for
we are people who are travelling.” 

When the imam who is
travelling says the salaam, he should say to the non-travellers who are
behind him: “Complete your prayer, for we are people who are travelling,”
following the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him). End quote. 

Badaa’i’ al-Sanaa’i’
(1/101). 

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said: 

If a non-traveller offers
an obligatory prayer such as Zuhr or ‘Asr or ‘Isha’ behind a traveller, then
he must pray four rak’ahs. Hence he must complete his prayer after the
traveller says the salaam following two rak’ahs. End quote. 

Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn Baaz
(12/259). 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

It is permissible for the
traveller to be an imam for non-travellers, and when he says the salaam, the
non-travellers should stand up and complete the prayer after he has
finished. But the traveller who leads non-travellers in prayer should tell
them before he prays, “We are travelling so when we say the salaam, complete
the prayer,” because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) prayed in Makkah after the conquest and said: “Complete [your prayers]
O people of Makkah, for we are people who are travelling.” And he would lead
them in praying two rak'ahs, and they would complete their prayers after he
had finished. End quote. 

Majmoo’ Fataawa wa
Rasaa’il al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (15/153) 

See also Nayl al-Awtaar
(3/199), al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah (6/33). 

And Allaah knows best.

 

 

Prayer in congregation is not obligatory for women, and a woman's prayer in her house, even on her own, is better

 

What is the ruling on prayer in congregation for a woman? Please note that she finds that she focuses better in prayer when she prays alone. How about if she finds an opportunity to pray in congregation in her house with her father or brothers, and she prays with them a second time and counts this prayer as naafil (supererogatory)?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Prayer in congregation is not obligatory for women, and a
woman’s prayer in her house on her own is better than her praying in
congregation in the mosque. 

Abu Dawood (567) narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be
pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) said: “Do not prevent your women from going to the mosques,
although their houses are better for them.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani
in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 515. 

The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas
said: 

It is not obligatory for women to offer any of the five
obligatory prayers in congregation, and their prayer in their houses is
better for them than praying in the mosques, whether that is an obligatory
or naafil prayer. But if she wants to pray in the mosque, she should not be
prevented from doing so, on condition that she observe proper Islamic
etiquette when going out and when praying, by going out fully covered, not
wearing perfume, and praying behind the men. End quote from Fataawa
al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (8/213). 

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

With regard to women, their prayer in their houses is better
for them, whether they pray individually or in congregation. End quote, 

Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn Baaz,
12/78. 

If congregational prayer is held in the house, then it is
better for the woman to pray with them and not to pray alone, whether the
congregation is women or men who are her mahrams. 

In al-Musannaf (4989), Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated from
Umm al-Hasan that she saw Umm Salamah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) leading the women in prayer. She stood with
them in the same row. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Tamaam al-Mannah,
p. 154. 

Al-Bayhaqi (5138) narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be
pleased with her) led women in praying the obligatory prayer. She led them
standing in their midst. Classed as saheeh by al-Nawawi in al-Khalaasah,
as stated in Nasab al-Raayah by al-Zayla’i (2/39). 

The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas
said: 

If women pray in congregation in the house, that is better,
and their (female) imam should stand in their midst in the first row, and
they should be led by the one who has most knowledge of Qur’aan and other
rulings of Islam. End quote from Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah,
8/213. 

But even if a woman feels that she focuses better when
praying on her own, it is better, if a congregational prayer is held in the
house, to pray with them, so that she may attain the virtue and reward of
prayer in congregation -- which is a great bounty -- and so that her not
praying with this congregation will not be a cause of them thinking badly of
her or thinking that she dislikes the imam or congregation. And there is the
fear that the feeling that she focuses better when she prays on her own is
just an illusion by means of which the shaytaan wants to deprive her of the
virtue of praying in congregation. 

So what she should do is pray with the congregation in the house, and strive to focus properly in prayer. 

And Allah knows best.

 

 

He sweats and it smells, but it is too difficult for him to do ghusl for every prayer

 

There is a person who sweats a great deal and he needs to take a bath for every prayer (so that he will not annoy other worshippers). Is this an excuse for not offering some of the obligatory prayers in the mosque or not? Especially since it is sometimes difficult to take a bath all the time, such as when it is cold at the time of Fajr prayer?.

Praise be to Allaah.

If a person has the problem of offensive body odour, and he
cannot conceal it by using perfume and the like, then he is excused for not
praying in congregation and there is the hope that he will be rewarded by
Allah. If bathing will remove this smell, then he should do it as much as he
can. Allah has made the means that help with that readily available, such as
hot water and the ability to protect oneself against cold by wearing warm
clothes, and the like. 

The fuqaha’ have stated that the presence of an offensive
smell is an excuse for not praying in congregation. In fact they tell the
one who has a smell not to enter the mosque and annoy the worshippers. 

The basic principle with regard to that is the report
narrated by Muslim (564) from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allah be pleased
with him) from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) who
said: “whoever eats garlic, onions or leeks, let him not come near our
mosque, for the angels are offended by the same things that offend the sons
of Adam.” 

It says in Mataalib Ooli al-Nuha (1/699): It is
makrooh to attend the mosque and prayer in congregation for the one who eats
garlic, onions, or leeks, and anything that has an offensive smell, until
that smell has gone. The same applies to one who has bad breath or body
odour from the armpits or anything that has a rotten smell. It is mustahabb
to make them leave, so as to ward off annoyance. 

It says in Asna al-Mataalib (1/215): From what is
mentioned, it may be understood that if the person who has a chronic and
serious problem with bad breath and body odour, it is more appropriate for
him to be excused from coming to the mosque to pray in congregation. End
quote. 

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: My
father is elderly and does not go to pray in congregation, and he says that
he is ill with something that causes bad breath and an unpleasant smell, and
he says that he does not want to annoy the people with this smell. Is it
permissible for him to do this?  

He replied: Yes, this is a legitimate excuse. If he has
severe halitosis that smells bad and he cannot remove it, then he is
excused. Similarly, onions or leeks are an excuse. But if there is any
remedy or a way to remove the smell, then he must do that, so that he will
not stay away from Jumu’ah prayer and prayers in congregation. But if he is
unable to do that and it is not easy for him, then his excuse is stronger
than the excuse of the one who eats onions. Undoubtedly bad breath is
annoying to the people around him, if the smell is obvious. End quote from
Noor ‘ala al-Darb (tape no. 219, minute 11). 

We ask Allah to heal you and give you good health. 

And Allah knows best.