Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (4/50)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

Abbas that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would pray twenty rak'ahs in the month of Ramadan. (1) However, this hadith is weak and is not authentically reported from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. What is authentically reported from him is what Aisha, the Mother of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with her, narrated: that he would not pray more than eleven rak'ahs. She was asked, “How was the Prophet’s prayer in Ramadan?” She replied, “He would not pray more than eleven rak'ahs in Ramadan or at any other time.” (2) This is an explicit statement from Aisha, who was among the people most knowledgeable about what he did at night.

If someone were to say: It has been mentioned that Umar instructed Ubayy ibn Ka'b to lead the people in prayer with twenty-three rak'ahs.

We reply: This too is not authentic. Rather, Yazid ibn Ruman narrated: “During Umar’s time, the people would pray twenty-three rak'ahs in Ramadan.” (3) Yet Yazid ibn Ruman did not live during Umar’s time, so there is a break in the chain of transmission. Furthermore, the hadith does not explicitly state that Umar was aware of this and approved it. Nor does the principle apply here that whatever was done during the lifetime of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, without his objecting to it is implicitly traced back to him; for if the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, knew of it, he approved it, and if he did not know of it, then Allah Most High approved it.

However, Malik narrated in al-Muwatta, through one of the most authentic chains of transmission, that Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, instructed Tamim al-Dari and Ubayy ibn Ka'b to lead the people in prayer with eleven rak'ahs. (4) This is an explicit text and an instruction from Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, and it is fitting of him, for he was among the people most steadfast in adhering to the sunnah. Since the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, did not pray more than eleven rak'ahs, we believe that Umar ibn al-Khattab

(1) Reported by Ibn Abi Shaybah in al-Musannaf, 2:394, and by al-Bayhaqi, 2:496, who deemed it weak. See the Shaykh's comments above. (2) Its authentication and source citation were given previously on p. 11. (3) Reported by Malik in al-Muwatta, Book of Prayer, chapter on what has been narrated concerning prayer at night in Ramadan, no. 303; and by al-Bayhaqi, Book of Prayer, chapter on reports concerning the number of rakahs in the night prayer during Ramadan, 2:496. See the Shaykh's comments above. (4) Its authentication and source citation were given previously on p. 10.

عباس أن النَّبيَّ ﷺ كان يُصلِّي في شهر رمضان عِشرين رَكعة (١)، لكن هذا الحديث ضعيف لا يصحُّ عن النَّبيِّ ﷺ، والذي صَحَّ عنه ما روته عائشةُ أمُّ المؤمنين ﵂ أنه كان لا يزيدُ على إحدى عشرة رَكعةً. فقد سُئلت: كيف كانت صلاةُ النَّبيِّ ﷺ في رمضان؟ فقالت: كان لا يزيدُ في رمضانَ ولا غيره على إحدى عشرة ركعة (٢). وهذا نصٌّ صريحٌ مِن عائشةَ، وهي مِن أعلم النَّاس به فيما يفعله ليلاً. فإنْ قال قائل: قد ذُكر عن عُمرَ أنه أمر أُبيَّ بنَ كعب أنْ يُصلِّي بالنَّاس بثلاث وعشرين ركعة؟. قلنا: هذا أيضا ليس بصحيح، وإنما روى يزيدُ بنُ رومان قال: «كان النَّاسُ يصلُّون في عهد عُمرَ في رمضان ثلاثاً وعِشرين ركعةً» (٣) ويزيد بنُ رُومان لم يدركْ عهدَ عُمرَ، فيكون في الحديث انقطاعٌ. ثم الحديث ليس فيه نصٌّ على أنَّ عُمرَ اطَّلعَ على ذلك فأَقرَّه، ولا يَرِدُ على هذا أنَّ ما فُعل في عهد النَّبيَّ ﷺ ولم يُنكرْه فإنه يكون مرفوعاً حكماً؛ لأن الرسول ﷺ إنْ كان عَلِمَه فقد أقرَّه، وإنْ لم يكن عَلِمَه فقد أقرَّه الله تعالى، ولكن روى مالكٌ في «الموطأ» بإسنادٍ مِن أصحِّ الأسانيد أن عُمرَ بن الخطاب ﵁ أَمَرَ تَميماً الدَّاريَّ وأُبيَّ بنَ كعب أنْ يقوما بالنَّاس بإحدى عشرةَ ركعةً (٤). وهذا نصٌّ صريحٌ، وأَمْرٌ مِن عُمرَ ﵁، وهو اللائقُ به ﵁، لأنَّه مِن أشدِّ النَّاسِ تمسُّكاً بالسُّنَّةِ، وإذا كان الرَّسولُ ﷺ لم يَزِدْ على إحدى عشرةَ ركعةً، فإنَّنا نعتقد بأن عُمرَ بنَ الخطَّاب

(١) أخرجه ابن أبي شيبة في «المصنف» (٢/ ٣٩٤)؛ والبيهقي (٢/ ٤٩٦) وقال: «ضعيف». وانظر كلام الشيخ ﵀ أعلاه. (٢) تقدم تخريجه ص (١١). (٣) أخرجه مالك في «الموطأ»، كتاب الصلاة، باب ما جاء في قيام رمضان (٣٠٣)؛ والبيهقي، كتاب الصلاة، باب ما روي في عدد ركعات القيام في شهر رمضان (٢/ ٤٩٦). وانظر كلام الشيخ ﵀ أعلاه (٤) تقدم تخريجه ص (١٠).