Al-Muqaddimāt al-Mumahhidāt - Ibn Rush al-Jadd - (1/158)

Al-Muqaddimāt al-MumahhidātIbn Rush al-Jadd

Allah, Mighty and Majestic:

“Turn your face toward the Sacred Mosque, and wherever you are, turn your faces toward it.” [al-Baqarah: 144]

Those who can see the qiblah must face it, while those who cannot must exercise their best judgment to determine its direction from the signs indicating it. If someone prays without exercising his judgment, his prayer is invalid, even if he happens to face the qiblah. If he exercises his judgment but subsequently discovers that he was mistaken and prayed with his back to the qiblah, or facing east or west, it is recommended that he repeat the prayer within its prescribed time. Al-Shāfiʿī said that if he prayed with his back to the qiblah, he must repeat the prayer, whether within its prescribed time or afterwards. This is also the view of al-Mughīrah, one of our scholars.

Our evidence is the report from ʿĀmir ibn Rabīʿah, who said: “We were travelling with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, on a dark night, and we could not determine the direction of the qiblah. Each of us prayed facing his own direction, and we made marks. When morning came, we discovered that we had prayed in a direction other than the qiblah. We asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, about this, and he said: ‘Your prayer is valid.’ Then the following was revealed: ‘Wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah.’ [al-Baqarah: 115]”

When someone who exercises his judgment in determining the qiblah makes a mistake, he does not then arrive at certainty; rather, he resorts to another judgment of the same kind. He is therefore not required to repeat the prayer except within its prescribed time. This differs from someone who prays in a direction other than the qiblah while in a place where he can see it: if he makes a mistake, he can turn to certainty rather than to a judgment.

Section

As for bowing and prostrating, the evidence that they are obligatory is the statement of Allah, Mighty and Majestic:

“O you who believe, bow and prostrate.” [al-Hajj: 77]

And His statement, Exalted is He:

“O Mary, be devoutly obedient to your Lord, prostrate, and bow with those who bow.” [Āl ʿImrān: 43]

And His statement, Mighty and Majestic:

“And those who bow and prostrate.” [al-Baqarah: 125]

And His statement, Exalted is He:

“Those who bow and prostrate.” [al-Tawbah: 112]

الله ﷿: ﴿فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنْتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ﴾ [البقرة: ١٤٤]، فعلى المعاين للقبلة استقبالها، وعلى من غابت عنه الاجتهاد في طلبها بالأدلة المنصوبة عليها، فإن صلى بغير اجتهاد لم تجزئه صلاته، وإن وقعت إلى القبلة. وإن اجتهد فتبين له أنه أخطأ فصلى مستدبر القبلة أو مشرقا أو مغربا أعاد في الوقت على طريق الاستحباب. وقال الشافعي: إن استدبر القبلة فالإعادة عليه واجبة في الوقت وبعده، وهو قول المغيرة من أصحابنا. والدليل لنا ما روي عن «عامر بن ربيعة أنه قال: كنا مع رسول الله ﷺ في ليلة ظلماء في سفر، فخفيت علينا القبلة، فصلى كل واحد منا إلى وجهه، وعلمنا علما، فلما أصبحنا فإذا نحن قد صلينا إلى غير القبلة، فسألنا عن ذلك رسول الله ﷺ فقال: مضت صلاتكم، ونزلت: ﴿فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ﴾ [البقرة: ١١٥]»، ولما كان المجتهد في طلب القبلة إذا أخطأ لا ينصرف إلى يقين وإنما يرجع إلى اجتهاد مثله لم تجب عليه الإعادة إلا في الوقت؛ بخلاف من صلى إلى غير القبلة وهو بموضع يعاينها ويرجع إذا أخطأ إلى يقين لا إلى اجتهاد. فصل وأما الركوع والسجود فالدليل على وجوبهما قول الله ﷿: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ارْكَعُوا وَاسْجُدُوا﴾ [الحج: ٧٧]، وقَوْله تَعَالَى: ﴿يَا مَرْيَمُ اقْنُتِي لِرَبِّكِ وَاسْجُدِي وَارْكَعِي مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ﴾ [آل عمران: ٤٣]، وقوله ﷿: ﴿وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ﴾ [البقرة: ١٢٥]، وقَوْله تَعَالَى: ﴿الرَّاكِعُونَ السَّاجِدُونَ﴾ [التوبة: ١١٢].