Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (4/66)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

his imam concludes the prayer, he rises and performs the additional rak'ah. This is a clear analogy, with no difficulty in it.

If someone were to ask: Does this not contradict the Prophet’s ﷺ statement: “Whoever stands in prayer with the imam until he leaves will be recorded as having stood the whole night in prayer”? (1)

We reply: It does not contradict it, because the Prophet ﷺ did not say, “Whoever stands in prayer with the imam and leaves with him will be recorded as having stood the whole night in prayer.” Rather, he made the limit of standing in prayer the imam’s departure. Whoever adds to his imam’s prayer after the imam has concluded with the taslim has stood with him until he left.

It is disliked to offer voluntary prayers during it, but not to resume prayer in congregation thereafter. ..........

His statement, “It is disliked to offer voluntary prayers during it,” means that voluntary prayer between the tarawih prayers is disliked. This occurs in two ways:

The first is for a person to offer voluntary prayers while the people are praying. There is no doubt that this is disliked, because he separates himself from the congregation. How can you pray alone while the Muslims are praying in congregation?

If he says, “I have not prayed the obligatory prayer, and I wish to pray the isha prayer,”

we say: There is no objection. Join the imam in the tarawih prayer with the intention of the obligatory prayer—that is, with the intention of isha. When he concludes with the taslim, stand and perform two rak'ahs to complete the obligatory prayer—unless you are travelling, in which case conclude with him. Then join him in the tarawih prayer with the intention of the regular sunnah prayer after isha, if you are not travelling. Once you have prayed the regular sunnah prayer of isha, join him in the tarawih prayer. There is no harm in the imam and the congregant having different intentions; that is, it is permissible for the imam to intend a voluntary prayer while the congregant intends an obligatory prayer. This is what Imam Ahmad expressly stated: that a person may pray the isha prayer behind one who is praying tarawih.

(1) Its authentication and source reference have been given above on p. 54.

إمامُهُ قامَ فأتى بالرَّكعة، وهذا قياسٌ واضحٌ لا إشكال فيه. فإنْ قال قائل: ألا يخالفُ هذا قوله ﷺ: «مَنْ قامَ مع الإمامِ حتى ينصرفَ كُتبَ له قيامُ ليلةٍ» (١). قلنا: لا يخالفه؛ لأنَّ النَّبيَّ ﷺ لم يقل: مَنْ قامَ مع الإمام فانصرفَ معه كُتب له قيامُ ليلةٍ، بل جَعل غاية القيام حتى ينصرفَ الإمامُ، ومَنْ زاد على إمامه بعد سلامِهِ فقد قامَ معه حتى انصرفَ. وَيُكْرَهُ التّنَفُّلُ بَيْنَهَا، لَا التَّعْقِيبُ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ .......... قوله: «ويكره التنفل بينها» يعني: أنَّ التنفُّلَ بين التَّراويح مكروه، وهذا يقعُ على وجهين: الوجه الأول: أن يَتَنفَّلَ والنَّاس يصلُّون، وهذا لا شَكَّ في كراهته؛ لخروجه عن جماعة النّاس، إذ كيف تُصلِّي وحدك والمسلمون يصلُّون جماعة؟ فإن قال: أنا لم أُصَلِّ صلاةَ الفريضة، وأريد أنْ أصلِّي العِشاء؟ نقول: لا مانع، ادخلْ مع الإمام في التَّراويح بنيَّة الفريضة، أي: بنية العشاء، فإذا سَلَّم فَقُمْ وائتِ بركعتين إكمالاً للفريضة، إلا أن تكون مسافراً فَسلِّم معه، ثم ادخلْ معه في التَّراويح بنيَّة راتبة العشاء، إن لم تكن مسافراً، فإذا صَلَّيت راتبة العِشاء ادخلْ معه في التَّراويح، ولا يضرُّ اختلاف نيَّة الإمام والمأموم، أي: يجوز أن ينوي الإمام النَّافلة والمأموم الفريضة، وهذا ما نصَّ عليه الإمامُ أحمد: من أنَّه يجوز أن يُصلِّيَ الإنسان صلاة العشاء خلف من يُصلِّي التَّراويح.

(١) تقدم تخريجه ص (٥٤).