Ruling on Imams Prolonging Their Prayers – ConsultSyariah.com

Question:

The questioner said: “I memorized the meaning of a hadith of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam who said:”

“Indeed, there are those among you who drive people away, so whoever leads people, let him lighten them up.”

So please give guidance to the imams about the meaning of this hadith, because I noticed that some imams lengthen the prayer so that people are reluctant to come to the mosque.

Answer:

This is what is prescribed for imams, namely not to drive people away, either by extending the prayer or by delaying the time when the prayer should be held. The priest should pay attention to the congregation with gentleness, both in terms of maintaining the timeliness of the prayer and in terms of not lengthening the reading. So, the reading, bowing and prostration should be done in a way that is not burdensome and not prolonged, by imitating the prayer of the Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam and what he did.

Anas Radiyallāhu ‘anhu said:

“I have never prayed behind an imam whose prayers were more perfect and at the same time lighter than the Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam.”

He, may God bless him and give him peace, also said:

“O people, whoever among you becomes a priest for people, let him make things easier, because among them there are small children, old people, the weak, and those who have needs.”

So my wish to all imams is to pay attention to this, try to be gentle towards the congregation under their responsibility, and try to motivate them to perform congregational prayers and not push them away.

Some people once complained about Mu’ādz Raḍiyallāhu ‘anhu by saying that he lengthened the prayer. So the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam was angry because of that and said:

“O people, indeed there are those among you who drive people away,” and he warned sternly. The sunnah is that an imam should be gentle with his congregation and not prolong his prayers with them.

However, lightening or shortening the prayer also cannot damage the perfection of the prayer. So, light prayers are always accompanied by perfect reading, bowing and prostration, with complete reading, he recites according to the recommendations of the Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, such as Surah Al-Ghasyiyah, Surah Iqra’ bismi rabbika (Al-‘Alaq), Surah was-samā’i żātil-burūj (Al-Burūj), and the like during Zuhr, Asr, and prayer times. Isha. Meanwhile, for the Maghrib prayer, short letters such as Az-Zalzalah, Al-‘Ādiyāt, Aḍ-Ḍuḥā, and the like are read.

If the imam sometimes lengthens his reading during the Maghrib prayer – and that is sunnah – as Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam did, because on certain nights he read Surah Al-Mursalāt, and on other nights he read “Waṭ ṭūri wa kitābim masṭūr (Surat Aṭ-Ṭūr), then it shows that it is permissible to increase the reading occasionally.” Maghrib prayer, as the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam did.

Meanwhile, for the morning prayer, he usually lengthens it, because the Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam actually lengthened his reading in prayer, he read Surah Qāf and the like, such as Al-Wāqi’ah and the like. If an imam occasionally lightens his reading (during Fajr prayer), then there is no problem. In essence, an imam should try to imitate the prayers of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam and follow his actions.

Likewise, when bowing and prostrating, the imam should not prolong the reading to the point of burdening the people, but should calmly recite the tasbih five times, or seven times, or ten times. The minimum limit for perfection is three times, while what is obligatory is once, but it must be done with tumakninah.

Likewise in prostration. In bowing he should say, “Subḥāna rabbiyal ‘aẓīm, Subḥāna rabbiyal-‘aẓīm (meaning: Glory be to my Lord the Most Great, Glory be to my Lord the Most Great),” in prostration say: “Subḥāna rabbiyal a’lā, Subḥāna rabbiyal a’lā (meaning: Most Holy My Lord the Most High, Glory be to my Lord the Most High),” and it is also recommended for him to add the prayer: “Subḥānakallāhumma rabbanā wa biḥamdik, allāhumma ighfir lī (meaning: Glory be to You, O Allah, O our Lord, and by praising You, O Allah, forgive me),” both in bowing and prostrating.

Between two prostrations, he should be humble and not rush, by saying: “Rabbighfir lī, rabbighfir lī (meaning: O my Lord, forgive me! Forgive me!),” or “Rabbighfir lī (meaning: O my Lord, forgive me!),” or “Allāhumma ighfir lī warḥamnī wahdinī wajburnī warzuqnī wa ‘āfinī (meaning: O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, give me guidance, make up for my shortcomings, give me sustenance, and give me health!).”

Likewise, when he stood up after bowing, he stood straight with tumakninah and did not rush, saying: “Rabbanā wa lakal ḥamdu ḥamdan katsīran ṭayyiban mubārakan fīhi, mil’a as-samāwāti, wa mil’a al-arḍi, wa mil’a mā bainahumā, wa mil’a mā Shy’ta min Shyai’in Ba’du (meaning: O our Lord, and to You all praise him with much praise, good and full of blessings, full of heaven, full of earth, full of what is between the two, and full of whatever You will after that).

Occasionally he could add a prayer, “Ahlats tsanā’i wal-majd, aḥaqqu mā qālal ‘abdu, wa kullunā laka ‘abdu, lā māni’a limā a’ṭaita, wa lā mu’ṭiya limā mana’ta, wa lā yanfa’u żal-jaddi minka al-jadd (meaning: You are the Owner of all praise and glory, the most worthy thing to be said by a servant, and we are all Your servants. No one can hinder what You give, and no one can give what You hinder, and there is no use for the wealth of those who have wealth in front of You),” then that is good, because Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam sometimes does this and sometimes that.

So a Muslim should emulate him Shallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam and try to follow his actions and words in all matters of worship, be it in all forms of worship, be it prayer, fasting, or anything else. Thus.

Shaykh Bin Baz

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