Fatwa ID: 05197

Answered by: Maulana Syed Johir Miah

Question

If one is leading the salat and is in the final portion of the last rakat, can one delay the completion of the salat to allow some people to join at the last minute?  Or should they simply complete the salat and not delay?  Jazak Allah Khair.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

وكره تحريما إطالة ركوع أو قراءة لادراك الجائي: أي إن عرفه وإلا فلا بأس به، ولو أراد التقرب إلى الله تعالى لم يكره اتفاقا، لكنه نادر وتسمى مسألة الرياء، فينبغي التحرز عنها

For the Imam to prolong the ruku (kneeling) or Qiraat (reciting) in order to realize the one who comes: that is, if he knows it, is disliked (Makruh Tahreemi), otherwise there is no harm in it, and if he wanted to draw close to Allah (عز و جل), then it is not disliked by the unanimity of the scholars. However, it is rare and it called “ the issue of ostentation”, therefore it should be avoided.[1]

والمَذْهَبُ عِنْدَنا أنَّ الإمامَ لَوْ أطالَ الرُّكُوعَ لِإدْراكِ الجائِي لا تَقَرُّبًا بِالرُّكُوعِ لِلَّهِ تَعالى فَهُوَ مَكْرُوهٌ كَراهَةَ تَحْرِيمٍ، ويُخْشى عَلَيْهِ مِنهُ أمْرٌ عَظِيمٌ، ولَكِنْ لا يَكْفُرُ بِسَبَبِ ذَلِكَ؛ لِأنَّهُ لَمْ يَنْوِ بِهِ عِبادَةَ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ تَعالى، وقِيلَ: إنْ كانَ لا يَعْرِفُ الجائِي فَلا بَأْسَ أنْ يُطِيلَ وإلّا صَحَّ أنَّ تَرْكَهُ أوْلى، وأمّا لَوْ أطالَ الرُّكُوعَ تَقَرُّبًا مِن غَيْرِ أنْ يَتَخالَجَ قَلْبُهُ بِشَيْءٍ سِوى التَّقَرُّبِ لِلَّهِ تَعالى فَلا بَأْسَ، ولا شَكَّ أنَّ مِثْلَ هَذِهِ الحالَةِ فِي غايَةِ النُّدْرَةِ، وهَذِهِ المَسْألَةُ تُلَقَّبُ بِمَسْألَةِ الرِّياءِ، فالِاحْتِرازُ والِاحْتِياطُ فِيها أوْلى

The view of the Hanafi madhab is that;

If the imam prolonged ruku so the one who came can catch up, and not for the purpose of closeness to Allah (عز و جل), for it is disliked (Makruh Tahreemi), and a great affair is feared upon the Imam. However, the Imam will not be considered a disbeliever, as he did not intend to do worship other than Allah (عز و جل), and if the Imam did not know who came, then there is nothing wrong to lengthen the ruku, otherwise, it is better to not prolong the ruku. And if the Imam prolonged ruku to gain closeness to Allah (عز و جل), and without his heart being inclined towards other than that, then there is no harm. Undoubtedly, such a situation is rare and this issue is called the question of ostentation (hypocrisy). Therefore, the precaution is better in it. [2]

إن أطال الركوع تقربًا إلى الله تعالى كما شرع فيه تقربًا إلى الله لا ليدرك الجائي الركعة، فيكون الركوع من أوله إلى آخره خالصًا له تعالى، فلا بأس به

If the Imam prolonged the ruku in order to seek closeness to Allah (عز و جل), as he proceeded to draw closer to Allah (عز و جل), not for the latecomer to reach the rak’ah, then the ruku from the beginning to the end would be purely for Allah (عز و جل), and there is nothing wrong with it. [3]

Only Allah knows best

Written by Maulana Syed Johir Miah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

[1] Durrul Mukhtar, 68/1, Darul kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, 1423 H

Raddul Muhtar, 495/1, Darul Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon

Bazlul Majhood, 179/4, Markaz Shaykh Abul Hasan Nadwi, India, 1427 H

Tabyeenul Haqaiq Sharh Kanzud Daqaiq, 115/1 At Tabatul Kubra,Cairo 1313 H

[2] Mirqatul Mafatih, 871/3, Darul Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon

[3] Al-Muheetul /Burhanee Fil Fiqhil Nu’manee, 360/1, Darul kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, 1424 H