Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (7/265)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

For Jabir’s statement in his lengthy hadith, “Then he proceeded to the Station of Abraham and recited, ‘And take the Station of Abraham as a place of prayer,’” may mean that he proceeded from the end point of the tawaf—namely, the Black Stone—to the location of the Station, which was behind the door of the Ka‘bah; or it may mean that he proceeded to it in its present location.

If we say that its present location was its location during the time of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, then if there were a need to move it farther away so that the area for tawaf might be made more spacious, would we be permitted to do so?

The answer is: No, because its placement is determined by revealed prescription. But if we say that it was originally adjacent to the Ka‘bah and that Umar moved it farther away, then there is room for independent legal reasoning in this matter. We may therefore say that it is permissible to move it farther away if necessity requires it; or we may say that it is prohibited, because the Commander of the Believers, Umar, established a sunnah that is to be followed. However, the view permitting it is more correct, and it does not conflict in meaning with what the Commander of the Believers established, for he moved it from its location in order to make the area for tawaf more spacious. Thus, if we move it from its location for that same reason, we have agreed with the Commander of the Believers in meaning.

His statement, “behind the Station,” apparently indicates that it is not a condition for the two rak‘ahs to be performed close to the Station, and that the sunnah is fulfilled by performing them even at a place distant from it. This is indeed the case.

However, the closer one is to the Station, the better. Yet, if one must choose between praying close to the Station while having to make frequent movements to prevent passersby from crossing in front of him, or while being disturbed by people coming and going, and praying farther from the Station but with tranquility, which is better?

The answer is: The latter is better, because what pertains to the act of worship itself takes precedence

فإن قول جابر في حديثه الطويل: «ثم تقدم إلى مقام إبراهيم، فقرأ ﴿وَاتَّخِذُوا مِنْ مَقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلّىً﴾ يحتمل أنه تقدم من منتهى الطواف وهو الحجر إلى مكان المقام، وهو خلف باب الكعبة، ويحتمل أنه تقدم إليه في مكانه الآن. فإذا قلنا: إن مكانه الحاضر هو مكانه في عهد رسول الله ﷺ، فهل لنا فيما لو احتجنا إلى تأخيره ليتسع المطاف أن نؤخره؟ الجواب: لا؛ لأنه توقيفي، وإذا قلنا: إنه كان لاصقاً بالكعبة، ثم أخره عمر فللاجتهاد في ذلك مجال، فقد نقول بجواز تأخيره إذا دعت الضرورة إلى ذلك، وقد نقول بالمنع لأن أمير المؤمنين عمر له سنة متبعة، لكن القول بالجواز أولى ولا ينافي ما سنه أمير المؤمنين من حيث المعنى؛ لأنه زحزحه عن مكانه من أجل توسعة المطاف، فإذا زحزحناه عن مكانه لذلك فقد وافقنا أمير المؤمنين من حيث المعنى. وقوله: «خلف المقام» ظاهر كلامه أنه لا يشترط فيهما الدنو من المقام، وأن السنة تحصل بهما وإن كان مكانهما بعيداً عن المقام، وهو كذلك. ولكن كلما قرب من المقام كان أفضل، إلا أنه إذا دار الأمر بين أن يصلي قريباً من المقام مع كثرة حركته لرد المارين بين يديه أو مع التشويش فيمن يأتي ويذهب، وبين أن يصلي بعيداً عن المقام ولكن بطمأنينة، فأيهما أفضل؟ الجواب: الثاني أفضل؛ لأن ما يتعلق بذات العبادة أولى