Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (4/258)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

As for the response to the evidence cited by those who hold the first view from the Prophet’s statement (peace and blessings be upon him), “The imam has only been appointed to be followed, so do not oppose him” (1), they are the first to undermine their own use of this hadith as evidence. For they permit a person to offer a current prayer behind one who is making up a missed prayer, and this is a difference. They also permit one offering a voluntary prayer to pray behind one offering an obligatory prayer, and this too is a difference. This makes it clear that the hadith does not refer to a difference in intention. Hence, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Do not oppose him,” rather than, “Do not differ from him, such that you intend something other than what he intends.” There is a difference between the two expressions.

When it is said, “Do not oppose so-and-so,” the intended meaning of opposition is disobedience, as when it is said: “Do not oppose the ruler”—that is, do not defy him or go against him in what he commands you to do of what is right. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explained what it means not to oppose the imam when he said: “When he pronounces the takbir, then pronounce the takbir; when he bows, then bow …” (2), and so on to the end of the hadith.

Thus, what is meant by his statement, “Do not oppose him,” is: do not differ from him in your actions.

As for their statement that, if the follower is offering an obligatory prayer while the imam is offering a voluntary prayer, then the follower’s prayer is of a higher rank than the imam’s prayer and is therefore invalid, the response is: Who established this principle in the first place?

The hadith of Amr ibn Salamah al-Jurami indicates that it is valid for one offering the higher prayer to follow one offering the lower prayer: his people were praying the prayer as an obligation, while he was praying it voluntarily (3). Thus, this principle is not conceded. For this reason, we previously held to be valid that one able to perform the essential pillars of the prayer may pray behind one unable to perform them, as established by the sunnah in

(1) and (2) Its source documentation has already been given; see p. 230. (3) Its source documentation has already been given; see p. 317.

وأما الجواب عما استدلَّ به أهلُ القولِ الأولِ مِن قوله ﷺ: «إنَّما جُعِلَ الإِمامُ ليُؤتمَّ به، فلا تختلفوا عليه» (١) أنَّهم هم أولُ مَن ينقضُ الاستدلالَ بهذا الحديثِ؛ لأنهم يُجوِّزون أن يصلِّيَ الإِنسانُ المؤادَّةَ خلفَ المقضيَّةِ، وهذا اختلافٌ. ويُجوِّزون أنْ يصلِّيَ المُتنفِّلُ خلفَ المفترض، وهذا أيضاً اختلافٌ، فتبيّن بهذا أنَّ الحديثَ لا يُراد به اختلافُ النِّيةِ، ولهذا جاء التَّعبيرُ النَّبويُّ بقوله: «لا تختلفوا عليه» ولم يقل: لا تختلفوا عنه فتنووا غير ما نَوى. وبين العبارتين فَرْقٌ، فإذا قيل: لا تختلفْ على فلان. صار المرادُ بالاختلافِ المخالفة، كما يُقال: لا تختلفوا على السُّلطان. أي: لا تنابذوه وتخالفوه فيما يأمرُكم به مِن المعروفِ، وقد فَسَّرَ النَّبيُّ ﷺ عَدَمَ المخالفةِ بقوله: «فإذا كَبَّرَ فكبِّروا، وإذا رَكَعَ فاركعوا … » (٢) إلخ الحديث. فصار المرادُ بقوله: «لا تختلفوا عليه» أي: في الأفعالِ. وأما قولهم: إن صلاةَ المأمومِ إذا كان يصلِّي فريضةً، والإِمامُ متنفِّلاً أعلى مِن صلاةِ الإِمامِ فلا تَصحُّ. فالجواب: أن نقول: مَن الذي أصَّلَ هذه القاعدةَ؟! وقد دَلَّ حديثُ عَمرو بن سَلَمة الجرمي على أنه يصح أن يأتم الأعلى بالأدنى، فإن قومَهُ يصلُّون الصَّلاةَ فريضةً وهو يصلِّيها نَفْلاً (٣). فهذه القاعدةُ غيرُ مسلَّمة، ولهذا صحَّحنا فيما سبق أنْ يصلِّيَ القادرُ على الأركان بالعاجزِ عنها؛ كما جاءتْ به السُّنَّةُ في

(١) و (٢) تقدم تخريجه (٢٣٠). (٣) تقدم تخريجه ص (٣١٧).