Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (22/341)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

the purpose of recitation is fulfilled by listening, whereas he does not hear the imam’s opening supplication or his seeking refuge in Allah, since the imam says these silently.

The second position is that he offers the opening supplication but does not seek refuge in Allah, because seeking refuge is prescribed for recitation, and he is not reciting. The opening supplication, however, accompanies the opening takbīr.

The third position is that he neither offers the opening supplication nor seeks refuge in Allah. This is the soundest view and is held by most scholars, including Mālik and al-Shāfi‘ī, and also Abū Hanīfah, as far as I believe. This is because he is commanded to remain silent and listen attentively, so he should not utter anything else. Moreover, since he is prohibited from reciting, he is likewise prohibited from saying these supplications. Many scholars, among Ahmad’s followers and others, say that prohibiting these supplications is all the more warranted, because recitation is obligatory, yet its obligation is waived through listening. In Ahmad’s school, however, the prohibition against recitation is not more emphatic, since he does not consider recitation obligatory for the worshipper praying behind the imam, whether the imam recites silently or aloud. Even if there is disagreement over whether recitation is obligatory for the worshipper praying behind the imam, there is likewise disagreement over whether the opening supplication and seeking refuge in Allah are obligatory. There are two well-known positions on this within his school.

Among the arguments advanced by those who instruct the worshipper to say both while the imam recites aloud is that both are obligatory and no substitute has been prescribed for them, unlike recitation, for which listening has been prescribed as a substitute. The correct view, however, is that these are not obligatory, and only the person who recites is commanded to seek refuge in Allah. The command to listen attentively to the imam’s recitation and remain silent is stated in the Quran and the authentic Sunnah, and it is

مَقْصُودَ الْقِرَاءَةِ حَصَلَ بِالِاسْتِمَاعِ وَهُوَ لَا يَسْمَعُ اسْتِفْتَاحَهُ وَاسْتِعَاذَتَهُ إذْ كَانَ الْإِمَامُ يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ سِرًّا. وَالثَّانِيَةُ: يَسْتَفْتِحُ وَلَا يَسْتَعِيذُ؛ لِأَنَّ الِاسْتِعَاذَةَ تُرَادُ لِلْقِرَاءَةِ وَهُوَ لَا يَقْرَأُ وَأَمَّا الِاسْتِفْتَاحُ فَهُوَ تَابِعٌ لِتَكْبِيرَةِ الِافْتِتَاحِ. وَالثَّالِثَةُ: لَا يَسْتَفْتِحُ وَلَا يَسْتَعِيذُ وَهُوَ أَصَحُّ وَهُوَ قَوْلُ أَكْثَرِ الْعُلَمَاءِ كَمَالِكِ وَالشَّافِعِيِّ وَكَذَا أَبُو حَنِيفَةَ فِيمَا أَظُنُّ؛ لِأَنَّهُ مَأْمُورٌ بِالْإِنْصَاتِ وَالِاسْتِمَاعِ فَلَا يَتَكَلَّمُ بِغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ. وَلِأَنَّهُ مَمْنُوعٌ مِنْ الْقِرَاءَةِ فَكَذَا يُمْنَعُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ. وَكَثِيرٌ مِنْ الْعُلَمَاءِ. مِنْ أَصْحَابِ أَحْمَد وَغَيْرِهِمْ يَقُولُ مَنْعُهُ أَوْلَى لِأَنَّ الْقِرَاءَةَ وَاجِبَةٌ وَقَدْ سَقَطَتْ بِالِاسْتِمَاعِ؛ لَكِنَّ مَذْهَبَ أَحْمَد لَيْسَ مَنْعُهُ مِنْ الْقِرَاءَةِ أَوْكَدَ فَإِنَّ الْقِرَاءَةَ عِنْدَهُ لَا تَجِبُ عَلَى الْمَأْمُومِ لَا سِرًّا وَلَا جَهْرًا وَإِنْ اُخْتُلِفَ فِي وُجُوبِهَا عَلَى الْمَأْمُومِ فَقَدْ اُخْتُلِفَ فِي وُجُوبِ الِاسْتِفْتَاحِ وَالِاسْتِعَاذَةِ. وَفِي مَذْهَبِهِ فِي ذَلِكَ قَوْلَانِ مَشْهُورَانِ. وَمِنْ حُجَّةِ مَنْ يَأْمُرُ بِهِمَا عِنْدَ الْجَهْرِ: أَنَّهُمَا وَاجِبَانِ لَمْ يُجْعَلْ عَنْهُمَا بَدَلٌ؛ بِخِلَافِ الْقِرَاءَةِ فَإِنَّهُ جُعِلَ مِنْهَا بَدَلٌ وَهُوَ الِاسْتِمَاعُ؛ لَكِنَّ الصَّحِيحَ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ لَيْسَ بِوَاجِبِ وَالِاسْتِعَاذَةُ إنَّمَا أُمِرَ بِهَا مَنْ يَقْرَأُ وَالْأَمْرُ بِاسْتِمَاعِ قِرَاءَةِ الْإِمَامِ وَالْإِنْصَاتِ لَهُ مَذْكُورٌ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَفِي السُّنَّةِ الصَّحِيحَةِ وَهُوَ