Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (4/360)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

for this very prayer is four units when one is resident. Thus, this principle is weak.

The second principle is that the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, completed the prayer behind Uthman ibn Affan, may Allah be pleased with him, when he prayed at Mina. This was because “the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman during the first six or eight years of his caliphate would pray two units; then, toward the end of his caliphate, he began to pray four. The Companions would pray behind him despite their disapproval of his action. Indeed, when Ibn Masud was informed that he had prayed four, he recited, ‘Indeed, to Allah we belong, and to Him we will return.’” (1)

Had shortening been obligatory, the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, would not have followed him, for if it were obligatory, then completing the prayer would be an act of disobedience to Allah. It is inconceivable that the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, would follow Uthman in something they regarded as disobedience to Allah, the Most High.

Yet this principle may likewise be countered by the same response given to the first principle: they only followed him by praying four units in a prayer that is, in fact, prayed as four units. Thus, it is not surprising that they would leave the two obligatory units unperformed—particularly since they took into account another consideration: disagreement between the people and their caliph. Hence, when Ibn Masud, may Allah be pleased with him, was asked, “How can you pray four while you disapprove of Uthman’s action?” he replied, “Disagreement is evil.” (2)

May Allah be pleased with the Companions! How profound was their understanding and how deep their knowledge! They followed Uthman in a matter of great consequence: adding to the legislated number of units. Yet some of our brothers, who consider themselves followers of the early generations and the sunnah, leave the Sacred Mosque so as not to follow the imam in the supplication at the completion of the Quran, while others do so in order not to follow the imam in twenty-three units,

(1) Its source has been cited above (p. 62). (2) Its source has been cited above (p. 62).

فإن هذه الصلاة نفسها أربع في الحضر، إذن هذا الأصل فيه ضعف. الأصل الثاني: أن الصحابة ﵃ أتموا خلف عثمان بن عفان ﵁ حينما صلّى في منى، وذلك «أن رسول الله ﷺ وأبا بكر وعمر وعثمان في أول خلافته إلى ست أو ثمان سنين كان يصلي ركعتين ثم صار في آخر خلافته يصلي أربعاً، وكان الصحابة يصلون خلفه مع إنكارهم عليه حتى إن ابن مسعود لما بلغه أنه صلّى أربعاً استرجع قال: إنّا لله وإنا إليه راجعون» (١) فلو كان القصر واجباً لم يتابعه الصحابة ﵃؛ لأنه إذا كان واجباً فإن الإِتمام معصية لله، ولا يمكن أن يتابع الصحابة ﵃ عثمان فيما يرونه معصية لله ﷿، ولكن هذا الأصل أيضاً ربما يعارض بما عورض به الأصل الأول في أنهم إنما يتابعونه فيصلون أربعاً في صلاة تصلى أربعاً فلا غرابة أن يدعوا الركعتين الواجبتين، لا سيما وأنهم لاحظوا معنى آخر وهو الخلاف بين الناس وبين خليفتهم، ولهذا لما سئل ابن مسعود ﵁: كيف تتم أربعاً وأنت تنكر على عثمان؟ قال: «الخلاف شر» (٢) رضي الله عن الصحابة ما أفقههم وأعمق علمهم يتابعون عثمان في أمر عظيم، زيادة عما هو مشروع في العدد، وبعض إخواننا الذين يرون أنهم متبعون للسلف والسنّة يخرجون من المسجد الحرام لئلا يتابعوا الإِمام على دعاء الختمة، وبعضهم لئلا يتابع الإِمام على ثلاث وعشرين ركعة،

(١) تقدم تخريجه ص (٦٢). (٢) تقدم تخريجه ص (٦٢).