Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (4/252)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

then seclusion has ceased, and there is no dislike in this—unless he fears temptation. If he fears temptation, then it is forbidden, because whatever serves as a means to what is forbidden is itself forbidden.

It is understood from his statement, “when no man is with them,” that if a man is with them, there is no dislike; and this is evident.

OR A GROUP, THE MAJORITY OF WHOM RIGHTFULLY DISLIKE HIM

His statement, “or a group, the majority of whom rightfully dislike him,” means: it is disliked for a man to lead a group in prayer when the majority of them rightfully dislike him.

The evidence for this is the hadith: “There are three whose prayer does not rise above their ears: a runaway slave until he returns, a woman who spends the night while her husband is angry with her, and the imam of a people who dislike him” (1). His saying, “whose prayer does not rise above their ears,” means that it is neither raised nor accepted. This hadith is weak; and had it been authentic, it would have indicated that the prayer is invalid. Hence, the jurists ruled that it is disliked.

Ibn Muflih, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned in al-Nukat ʿalā al-Muḥarrar that when a hadith is weak and contains a prohibition, it is understood as indicating dislike—provided that its weakness is not severe. If it contains a command, it is understood as indicating recommendation.

Due to its weakness, the hadith does not establish the ruling entailed by its wording. To reject it altogether would give rise to doubt, so the cautious approach is to assign it an intermediate ruling.

His statement, “the majority of whom rightfully dislike him,” indicates that if it is the minority who dislike him, their dislike carries no weight.

(1) Reported by al-Tirmidhi, Book of Prayer, chapter: “What has been reported concerning one who leads a people in prayer while they dislike him” (360). He said: “A hasan gharib hadith through this route.” See also the Shaykh’s remarks on the hadith’s grading.

فالخَلوةُ قد زالت ولا يُكره ذلك، إلا إذا خَافَ الفِتنةَ، فإنْ خَافَ الفِتنةَ فإنَّه حرامٌ؛ لأنَّ ما كان ذريعةً للحرامِ فهو حرامٌ. وعُلِمَ مِن قوله: «لا رجل معهنَّ» أنَّه لو كان معهنَّ رَجُلٌ فلا كراهةَ وهو ظاهرٌ. أَوْ قَوْماً أَكْثَرُهُمْ يَكْرَهُهُ بِحَقٍّ .............. قوله: «أو قوماً أكثرهم يكرهه بحق» أي: يُكره أنْ يَؤمَّ قوماً أكثرهم يكرهه بحَقٍّ. ودليلُ ذلك: حديثُ «ثلاثةٌ لا تُجَاوِزُ صلاتُهم آذانَهم: العبدُ الآبقُ حتى يرجعَ، وامرأةٌ بَاتَتْ وزوجُها عليها سَاخِطٌ، وإمامُ قومٍ وهم له كارهون» (١)، فقوله: «لا تُجاوِزُ صلاتُه آذانَهم: أي: لا تُرفعُ ولا تُقبلُ، وهذا الحديثُ ضعيفٌ، ولو صَحَّ لكان فيه دليلٌ على بُطلان الصَّلاةِ، ومِن ثَمَّ قال الفقهاءُ بالكراهةِ. وقد ذَكَرَ ابنُ مفلح ﵀ في «النكت على المحرر» أنَّ الحديثَ إذا كان ضعيفاً؛ وكان نهياً فإنَّه يُحملُ على الكراهةِ، لكن بشرط أنْ لا يكون الضَّعفُ شديداً، وإذا كان أمراً فإنَّه يُحملُ على الاستحبابِ. فالحديثُ لضعفِهِ لم يكن موجباً للحُكم الذي يقتضيه لفظه، لو ردَّوه كان مثيراً للشك، فكان الاحتياطُ أنْ نجعلَ حكمَه بين بين. وقوله: «أكثرهم يكرهه بحق». أفادنا المؤلِّفُ: أنَّه لو كان الأقلُّ يكرهه، فلا عبرةَ به.

(١) أخرجه الترمذي، أبواب الصلاة، باب ما جاء من أمَّ قوماً وهم له كارهون (٣٦٠) وقال: «حديث حَسَنٌ غريبٌ من هذا الوجه»، وانظر: كلام الشيخ ﵀ عن درجة الحديث.