Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (4/53)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

and tells them to make the rows even. Thus, if those under his authority ask him to be considerate of them by increasing the number of rak'ahs while shortening the bowing, prostration, and recitation, there is nothing wrong with this.

Here we say: We should neither go to excess nor fall short. Some people go to excess in their commitment to the sunnah regarding the number, saying: “It is not permissible to exceed the number established by the sunnah.” They vehemently condemn anyone who exceeds it, declaring him to be a sinful disobedient person. There is no doubt that this is mistaken. How can he be deemed a sinful disobedient person when the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was asked about the night prayer and replied, “Two by two” (1), without specifying a number?

It is well known that the one who asked him about the night prayer did not know its number, for one who does not know how it is performed is even less likely to know its number. Nor was he among those who served the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, such that we could say that he knew what took place inside his home. Since the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, explained to him how the prayer is performed without specifying a number, it is known that there is latitude in this matter, and that a person may pray one hundred rak'ahs and then perform one rak'ah of witr.

As for his saying, peace and blessings be upon him, “Pray as you have seen me pray” (2), this is not general in meaning even according to those people themselves. This is why they do not hold it obligatory for a person to perform witr with five rak'ahs on one occasion, seven on another, and nine on another. If we were to apply the statement generally, we would say: You must perform witr with five rak'ahs on one occasion, seven on another, and nine consecutively on another. Rather, what is meant is: “Pray as you see me pray” with regard to the manner of prayer, but not with regard to the number—except where a text has specifically determined it.

In any case, one should not impose hardship on people in a matter where there is latitude. Indeed, we have seen among the brothers who are strict in this matter some who

(1) Its authentication and source reference have preceded on p. 11. (2) Its authentication and source reference have preceded on p. 44.

فإذا طَلَبَ المُولَّى عليهم أنْ يرفقَ بهم بكثرة العدد مع تخفيف الرُّكوع والسُّجود والقِراءة فليس في هذا بأس. وهنا نقول: لا ينبغي لنا أنْ نغلوَ أو نُفَرِّطَ، فبعضُ النَّاس يغلو من حيث التزامُ السُّنَّة في العدد، فيقول: لا تجوز الزيادة على العدد الذي جاءت به السُّنَّةُ، وينكرُ أشدَّ النَّكير على مَن زادَ على ذلك، ويقول: إنه آثمٌ عاصي. وهذا لا شَكَّ أنَّه خطأ، وكيف يكون آثماً عاصياً وقد سُئِلَ النَّبيُّ ﷺ عن صلاة الليل؟ فقال: «مثنى مثنى» (١) ولم يُحدِّد بعدد، ومِن المعلوم أنَّ الذي سأله عن صَلاة الليل لا يعلم العَدَد، لأنَّ مَنْ لا يعلم الكيفيَّة فجهلُه بالعدد مِن باب أَولى، وهو ليس ممن خَدَمَ الرَّسولَ ﷺ حتى نقول: إنَّه يعلمُ ما يحدثُ داخلَ بيته، فإذا كان النَّبيُّ ﷺ بَيَّنَ له كيفيَّة الصَّلاة دون أن يحدِّد له بعدد؛ عُلِمَ أنَّ الأمرَ في هذا واسع، وأنَّ للإنسان أنْ يُصلِّيَ مِئةَ ركعة ويُوتر بواحدة، وأما قوله ﷺ: «صَلُّوا كما رأيتموني أُصَلِّي» (٢)، فهذا ليس على عُمومِه حتى عند هؤلاء، ولهذا لا يوجبون على الإنسان أنْ يُوتِرَ مرَّةً بخمس، ومرَّةً بسبعٍ، ومرةً بتسع، ولو أخذنا بالعموم لقلنا: يجب أن تُوتِرَ مرَّةً بخمسٍ، ومرَّةً بسبعِ، ومرَّةً بتسعٍ سرداً، وإنما المُرادُ: «صَلُّوا كلَّما رأيتموني أُصلِّي» في الكيفيَّة، أما في العدد فلا، إلا ما ثبت النَّصُّ بتحديده. وعلى كُلٍّ؛ ينبغي للإنسان أن لا يُشدِّدَ على النَّاس في أمرٍ واسع، حتى إنَّا رأينا مِن الإخوة الذين يشدِّدون في هذا مَنْ

(١) تقدم تخريجه ص (١١). (٢) تقدم تخريجه ص (٤٤).