Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (20/365)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

its correctness. It is established in Sahīh al-Bukhārī that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“They lead you in prayer. If they perform it correctly, both you and they receive the reward; if they err, you receive the reward, while they bear responsibility.”

This explicitly addresses the issue. Moreover, since the imam has prayed according to his independent legal judgment, his prayer cannot be deemed invalid. Do you not see that when he issues a judicial ruling according to his independent legal judgment, his ruling is enforced? Following him in prayer is therefore all the more warranted. Those who disagree base their position on the claim that the follower believes the imam’s prayer to be invalid. This is mistaken, for the imam has prayed according to his independent legal judgment or the scholarly opinion he follows. If he is correct, he receives two rewards; if he is mistaken, he receives one reward, and his error is forgiven. How, then, can it be said that the follower believes his prayer to be invalid?

Furthermore, it is established through mass transmission from the early generations of this community that they continued to pray behind one another despite such differences. Al-Shāfi‘ī and others like him regularly prayed behind the people of Medina, although the latter recited “In the name of Allah…” neither silently nor aloud.

It is also reported that al-Rashīd underwent cupping and asked Mālik for a ruling. Mālik ruled that he did not need to renew his ablution, and Abū Yūsuf then prayed behind him. The position of Abū Hanīfah and Ahmad is that the discharge of impure matter from anywhere other than the urinary and anal passages invalidates ablution, whereas Mālik and al-Shāfi‘ī hold that it does not. Abū Yūsuf was asked, “Do you pray behind him?” He replied, “Glory be to Allah! He is the Commander of the Faithful!” Refusing to pray behind the imams on such grounds is one of the distinguishing practices of the people of innovation, such as the Rāfidah and the Mu‘tazilah. Thus, when Imam Ahmad was asked about this matter,

صِحَّتِهِ؛ فَقَدْ ثَبَتَ فِي صَحِيحِ الْبُخَارِيِّ {عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: يُصَلُّونَ لَكُمْ فَإِنْ أَصَابُوا فَلَكُمْ وَلَهُمْ وَإِنْ أَخْطَئُوا فَلَكُمْ وَعَلَيْهِمْ} وَهَذَا صَرِيحٌ فِي الْمَسْأَلَةِ وَلِأَنَّ الْإِمَامَ صَلَّى بِاجْتِهَادِهِ فَلَا يُحْكَمُ بِبُطْلَانِ صَلَاتِهِ أَلَا تَرَى أَنَّهُ يُنَفِّذُ حُكْمَهُ إذَا حَكَمَ بِاجْتِهَادِهِ؟ فالائتمام بِهِ أَوْلَى. وَالْمُنَازِعُ بَنَى ذَلِكَ عَلَى أَنَّ الْمَأْمُومَ يَعْتَقِدُ بُطْلَانَ صَلَاةِ الْإِمَامِ وَهَذَا غَلَطٌ؛ فَإِنَّ الْإِمَامَ صَلَّى بِاجْتِهَادِهِ أَوْ تَقْلِيدِهِ وَأَنَّهُ إنْ كَانَ مُصِيبًا فَلَهُ أَجْرَانِ وَإِنْ كَانَ مُخْطِئًا فَلَهُ أَجْرٌ وَاحِدٌ وَخَطَؤُهُ مَغْفُورٌ لَهُ فَكَيْفَ يُقَالُ: إنَّهُ يَعْتَقِدُ بُطْلَانَ صَلَاتِهِ ثُمَّ مِنْ الْمَعْلُومِ بِالتَّوَاتُرِ عَنْ سَلَفِ الْأُمَّةِ أَنَّ بَعْضَهُمْ مَا زَالَ يُصَلِّي خَلْفَ بَعْضٍ مَعَ وُجُودِ مِثْلِ ذَلِكَ فَمَا زَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ وَأَمْثَالُهُ يُصَلُّونَ خَلْفَ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَهُمْ لَا يَقْرَءُونَ الْبَسْمَلَةَ سِرًّا وَلَا جَهْرًا. وَمِنْ الْمَأْثُورِ أَنَّ الرَّشِيدَ احْتَجَمَ فَاسْتَفْتَى مَالِكًا فَأَفْتَاهُ بِأَنَّهُ لَا وُضُوءَ عَلَيْهِ فَصَلَّى خَلْفَهُ أَبُو يُوسُفَ وَمَذْهَبُ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ وَأَحْمَد أَنَّ خُرُوجَ النَّجَاسَةِ مِنْ غَيْرِ السَّبِيلَيْنِ يَنْقُضُ الْوُضُوءَ وَمَذْهَبُ مَالِكٍ وَالشَّافِعِيِّ أَنَّهُ لَا يَنْقُضُ الْوُضُوءَ فَقِيلَ لِأَبِي يُوسُفَ: أَتُصَلِّي خَلْفَهُ فَقَالَ: سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَإِنَّ تَرْكَ الصَّلَاةِ خَلْفَ الْأَئِمَّةِ لِمِثْلِ ذَلِكَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ أَهْلِ الْبِدَعِ كَالرَّافِضَةِ وَالْمُعْتَزِلَةِ. وَلِهَذَا لَمَّا سُئِلَ الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَد عَنْ هَذَا