Umdat at-Talib - Al-Buhuti - (1/81)

Umdat at-TalibAl-Buhuti

the noblest in lineage, then the most God-fearing, and, if necessary, the one chosen by drawing lots (1).

The owner of the house and the appointed imam of the mosque have the strongest claim, and a free man, a resident, and a sighted person (2) take precedence over their opposites.

It is invalid to pray behind an openly sinful person (3), or behind a woman or an intersex individual when leading men (4), or a minor leading an adult. Likewise, one may not follow a mute person or anyone unable to perform an indispensable pillar or meet a required condition—except for someone with the same disability. The lone exception is the neighbourhood imam whose illness is expected to pass: the congregation may pray behind him sitting, which is recommended. If he began the prayer standing with them but then became unable and sat down, they should complete the prayer standing. Nor is it valid to follow an imam who knowingly remains in a state of ritual impurity or physical defilement. If both imam and follower were unaware of his impurity until the prayer concluded, the follower’s prayer remains valid (5).

A person who cannot recite al-Fātiḥah correctly, who assimilates letters that should not be assimilated, who substitutes one letter for another—apart from pronouncing the ḍād in al-maghḍūbi and al-ḍāllīn as ẓāʾ—or who makes a mistake that changes the meaning, may not lead the prayer except someone with the same defect. If he is able to correct the error yet fails to do so, his own prayer is invalid.

It is disliked for a habitual mis-reciter (laḥḥān), a stammerer (faʾfaʾ) (6), and the like, or for anyone who cannot articulate certain letters clearly, to lead the prayer.

(1) i.e., the one whose name is selected in the drawing of lots. (2) Manuscript B adds the phrase: “and in a state of wudu (ablution).” (3) A second report from Imam Ahmad affirms the validity of praying behind a fasiq (open sinner); see al-Kafi, 1:245. Ibn Uthaymin comments: “This view—that the prayer behind a fasiq is still valid—is the only practicable one today; were we to insist on the first opinion, we would hardly find anyone fit to lead the prayer” (al-Sharh al-mumti, 4:218). (4) The word “for a man” does not appear in manuscript B. (5) Meaning: if an imam is unaware that he has lost his state of ritual purity—whether by hadath (minor impurity) or najasa (physical defilement)—and the follower is likewise unaware until the prayer ends, the follower’s prayer alone remains valid. (6) al-lahhan: someone who frequently commits recitational mistakes, though not to the point of changing the meaning; al-fa’fa’: a person who often stammers on the letter fa in his speech.

الأشرفُ، ثمَّ الأتْقى، ثمَّ مَنْ قَرَعَ (١) . وصاحبُ البيتِ وإمامُ المسجدِ أحقُّ، وحرٌّ ومقيمٌ وبصيرٌ (٢) أَوْلى من ضدهم. ولا تصحُّ خلفَ فاسقٍ (٣) ولا امرأةٍ وخُنثى لرجلٍ (٤) ، ولا صبيٍّ لِبالغٍ، ولا أخرسَ ولَا عاجزٍ عن رُكنٍ أو شرطٍ إلَّا بِمثلهِ، سِوى إمامِ الحيِّ المرجُوِّ زوالُ مَرضِه، ويصلُّون وراءه جلوسًا نَدْبًا، وإنِ ابتدأ بِهم قائمًا وعجزَ فجلسَ أتمُّوا خلفه قيامًا، ولا خلفَ محدثٍ أَوْ نجسٍ يعلم ذلك، فإنْ جَهِلَ مع مأمومٍ حتى انقضتْ صحتْ لمأمومٍ (٥) . ولَا إمامةُ مَنْ لا يُحسنُ الفاتحةَ، أو يُدغمُ مَا لا يُدغَم، أو يُبدلُ حَرفًا بآخرَ غيرِ ضادِ {الْمَغْضُوبِ} و {الضَّالِّينَ} ظاءً، أو يَلحنُ فِيها لحنًا يُحيل المعنى إلَّا بِمثلِه، وإنْ قدرَ علَى إِصْلاحهِ لَمْ تصحَّ صلاتُه. وتُكرهُ إمامةُ لحَّانٍ وَفَأْفاءٍ (٦) ونحوه، ومَنْ لا يُفصح ببعض الحروف،

(١) أي: مَنْ غلب في القرعة. (٢) في (ب): "ومتوضئ" (٣) والرواية الثانية عن الإمام أحمد -رَحِمَهُ اللهُ-: صحة الصلاة خلف الفاسق، كما في "الكافي" (١/ ٢٤٥). وقال الشيخ ابن عثيمين -رَحِمَهُ اللهُ-: "وهذا القول [أي: صحة الصلاة خلف الفاسق] لا يسع الناس اليوم إلا هو؛ لأننا لو طبقنا القول الأول على الناس، ما وجدنا إمامًا يصلح للإمامة إلا نادرًا" اهـ، "الشرح الممتع" (٤/ ٢١٨). (٤) قوله: "لرجل" ليست في (ب). (٥) أي: إن جَهِلَ إمامٌ حَدَثَه أو نَجَسه مع جهل المأموم بذلك حتى انقضت الصلاة صَحّت صلاة المأموم وحده. (٦) اللحَّان: أي كثير اللحن في القراءة -أي: لحنًا لا يُحيل المعنى-، والفأفاء هو: الذي يكثر ترديد الفاء في كلامه.