Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (5/76)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

This view is the correct one: what counts is the congregation that was established first in time, even if it begins the actual prayer later. Thus, if we assume that the newly established congregation—set up recently and without the imam’s authorization—has prayed one rak‘ah before the second congregation is held, although that second congregation was the first to be established, then their prayer is not valid as a Friday prayer. For the people are gathered around the first one, and then these people came, established another congregational mosque, and divided the people.

“And if they take place simultaneously, or if the first of them is unknown, both are invalid . . .”

His statement, “And if they take place simultaneously,” means that if they take place at the same time, both are invalid. For example, if we are listening to the northern mosque and the southern mosque, and the imam of each mosque says, “Allah is the Greatest,” at precisely the same moment, we say to them: “All your prayers are invalid.” This is because neither one preceded the other so as to possess any distinguishing priority. When neither possesses such priority, each one invalidates the other, just as two conflicting testimonies cancel each other out. Accordingly, all of them must repeat the Friday prayer in one place so long as its time remains; otherwise, they must pray Dhuhr.

According to the view that we have deemed preponderant, however, we say: the people of the northern mosque have performed a valid Friday prayer, whereas the people of the southern mosque have not, because the Friday congregation in the northern mosque was the first to be established.

His statement, “or if the first of them is unknown, both are invalid,” means that if two Friday prayers are held without need, and they are equal with respect to the imam’s authorization or lack thereof, and it is unknown which of them came first—that is, it is not known which one preceded the other in the opening takbir—then both Friday prayers are invalid, and they must pray Dhuhr. Drawing lots cannot be used here, because this is an act of worship. In this case they are required to pray Dhuhr, and the Friday prayer may not be repeated.

It has previously been mentioned, in the preceding issue, that they must repeat the Friday prayer if that is possible.

وهذا القول هو الصحيح، أن المعتبر السابقة زمناً وإنشاء ولو تأخرت عملاً، فلو فرضنا أن الجديدة ـ التي أنشئت حديثاً، وبدون إذن الإمام ـ صلوا ركعة قبل أن تقام الثانية ـ التي هي الأولى إنشاءً ـ فإن صلاتهم لا تصح جمعة؛ لأن الناس مجتمعون على الأولى، فجاء هؤلاء وأنشؤوا مسجداً جامعاً وفرقوا الناس. وَإِنْ وَقَعَتَا مَعاً، أَوْ جُهِلَتِ الأُولَى بَطَلَتَا ....... قوله: «وإن وقعتا معاً» أي: إن وقعتا معاً بطلتا معاً، فمثلاً إذا كنا نحن نستمع إلى المسجد الشمالي والمسجد الجنوبي فقال إمام كل مسجد منهما: «الله أكبر» في نفس الوقت فنقول لهم: صلاتكم جميعاً باطلة؛ لأنه لم تتقدم إحداهما حتى يكون لها مزية، وإذا لم يكن لها مزية صارت كل واحدة منهما تبطل الأخرى، كالبينتين إذا تعارضتا تساقطتا، وعلى هذا يلزم الجميع إعادتها جمعة في مكان واحد مع بقاء الوقت، وإلا صلوا ظهراً. وعلى القول الذي رجحناه نقول: أهل المسجد الشمالي صحت جمعتهم، وأهل المسجد الجنوبي لم تصح جمعتهم؛ لأن الجمعة في الشمالي هي الأولى إنشاءً. قوله: «أو جهلت الأولى بطلتا» أي: لو أقيمت جمعتان بلا حاجة، واستوتا في إذن الإمام وعدمه. وجهلت الأولى منهما، ولم يعلم أيهما أسبق بتكبيرة الإحرام بطلتا أي: الجمعتان، ولزمهم صلاة الظهر، ولا يصح استعمال القرعة هنا؛ لأنها عبادة، وهنا تلزمهم صلاة الظهر، ولا تصح إعادتها جمعة. وقد سبق في المسألة التي قبلها أنه يلزمهم إعادتها جمعة إن أمكن.