Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (22/5)

Volume Twenty-Two
The Book of Jurisprudence
Part Two: Prayer

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.

He—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked:

“Was prayer prescribed for the nations before us as it is for us, in terms of its obligation, times, acts, and manner of performance, or not?”

He—may Allah be pleased with him—replied:

“They had prayers at these times, but their prayers were not identical to ours in their times, manner of performance, and other respects. And Allah knows best.”

He was also asked:

About a man who commits sins and drinks wine, yet performs the five daily prayers, when the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“Any prayer that does not restrain its performer from indecency and wrongdoing only takes him further away from Allah.”

He replied:

“This hadith is not established as a saying of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Prayer does, however, restrain one from indecency and wrongdoing, as Allah has stated in His Book. In any

الْجُزْءُ الْثَّانِي وَالْعِشْرُونَ كِتَابُ الفِقْهِ الْجُزْءُ الثَّانِي: الصَّلَاةُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ سُئِلَ - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ -: هَلْ كَانَتْ الصَّلَاةُ عَلَى مَنْ قَبْلَنَا مِنْ الْأُمَمِ مِثْلَ مَا هِيَ عَلَيْنَا مِنْ الْوُجُوبِ وَالْأَوْقَاتِ وَالْأَفْعَالِ وَالْهَيْئَاتِ. أَمْ لَا؟ . فَأَجَابَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ -: كَانَتْ لَهُمْ صَلَاةٌ فِي هَذِهِ الْأَوْقَاتِ، لَكِنْ لَيْسَتْ مُمَاثِلَةً لِصَلَاتِنَا فِي الْأَوْقَاتِ وَالْهَيْئَاتِ، وَغَيْرِهِمَا، وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. وَسُئِلَ: عَنْ رَجُلٍ يَفْسُقُ وَيَشْرَبُ الْخَمْرَ وَيُصَلِّي الصَّلَوَاتِ الْخَمْسَ، وَقَدْ قَالَ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: {كُلُّ صَلَاةٍ لَمْ تَنْهَ عَنْ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ لَمْ يَزْدَدْ صَاحِبُهَا مِنْ اللَّهِ إلَّا بُعْدًا} . فَأَجَابَ: هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ لَيْسَ بِثَابِتِ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَكِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَى عَنْ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ كَمَا ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ. وَبِكُلِّ