Section: Prayers with Specific Causes May Be Offered at Times When Prayer Is Prohibited

We have previously written at length, in Alexandria and elsewhere, explaining that this is the sounder of the two scholarly views. It is the position of al-Shāfi‘ī and one of the two positions reported from Ahmad, adopted by Abū al-Khattāb.

We had previously withheld judgment because of certain evidence cited by those who prohibit these prayers. Upon examining that evidence closely, however, we found that the hadiths were either weak or did not support their conclusion. We explained that there are several proofs for this position.

Among them is that the hadiths commanding prayers with specific causes, such as his statement:

“When one of you enters the mosque, let him not sit down until he has prayed two rak‘ahs,”

retain their general applicability without exception. By contrast, not a single hadith prohibiting prayer is wholly general in its applicability; rather, all are subject to exceptions. Priority must therefore be given to the general wording that admits no exceptions, for its authority as evidence is agreed upon by the early generations and the majority who affirm the applicability of general wording. This is not the case with general wording subject to exceptions, and the former is undoubtedly stronger than the latter.

Another proof is that it is established that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, commanded the performance of the prayer