Fatwa ID: 08432

 

 

 

Answered by: Maulana Abdurrahman Mohammad

 

Question:

 

If the Imām breaks wudhū he will walk away. The one who is now going to take his place, how should he walk to the Musalla? E.g take one step then pause for 3X Subhanaallah then take another step until he reaches or should he walk up normally to the musalla?

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

Answer:

 

When walking in prayer, it would be ideal to take two steps, wait for a Rukn (3 SubhanAllah’s), and then take two more steps until one gets ahead enough or reaches the Imam’s spot. The length of the steps at a time should not be larger than the distance of one row. One should refrain from walking normally to the Musallā.

 

Walking during prayer while facing the qiblah does not invalidate it when it [walking] is not consecutive and he does not leave the Masjid, and according to Qadā’, as long as he does not leave the rows. Likewise in al-Muniyah, if one turns his back to the qiblah, it [the prayer] is invalidated. Likewise in Al-Zahiriyyah, if a person walks during his prayer the distance of one row, his prayer is not invalidated. If he walks the distance of two rows, if he walks all at once, his prayer is invalidated. If he walks to a row, stops, and then to another row, his prayer is not invalidated. This is also stated in the Fatawa of Qadi Khan.^[1]

 

(His statement, “Even if it is many”) meaning, even if he walked the length of many rows in this case, and it is supported by his statement, “and thus” (His statement, “Unless the place has changed”) meaning, if he left the mosque or passed the rows, if the prayer is in the desert, then in that case it is invalidated, just as if he walked the length of two rows at once. He said in the explanation of Al-Muniyah: This is based on the fact that a small act is not corrupting unless it is repeated consecutively.^[2]

 

 

 

 

Only Allah (عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ) knows best.

Written by Maulana Abdurrahman Mohammad

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

 

[1] الْمَشْيُ فِي الصَّلَاةِ إذَا كَانَ مُسْتَقْبِلَ الْقِبْلَةِ لَا يُفْسِدُ إذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ مُتَلَاحِقًا وَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ مِنْ الْمَسْجِدِ وَفِي الْفَضَاءِ مَا لَمْ يَخْرُجْ مِنْ الصُّفُوفِ. كَذَا فِي الْمُنْيَةِ وَإِذَا اسْتَدْبَرَ الْقِبْلَةَ فَسَدَتْ. كَذَا فِي الظَّهِيرِيَّةِ وَلَوْ مَشَى فِي صَلَاتِهِ مِقْدَارَ صَفٍّ وَاحِدٍ لَمْ تَفْسُدْ صَلَاتُهُ وَلَوْ كَانَ مِقْدَارَ صَفَّيْنِ إنْ مَشَى دَفْعَةً وَاحِدَةً فَسَدَتْ صَلَاتُهُ وَإِنْ مَشَى إلَى صَفٍّ وَوَقَفَ ثُمَّ إلَى صَفٍّ لَا تَفْسُدُ. كَذَا فِي فَتَاوَى قَاضِي خَانْ.

(Radd Al-Muhtār, vol. 1, pg. 102-103, Darul Fikr Beirut)

 

 

[2] (قَوْلُهُ وَإِنْ كَثُرَ) أَيْ وَإِنْ مَشَى قَدْرَ صُفُوفٍ كَثِيرَةٍ عَلَى هَذِهِ الْحَالَةِ، وَهُوَ مُسْتَدْرِكٌ بِقَوْلِهِ وَهَكَذَا (قَوْلُهُ مَا لَمْ يَخْتَلِفْ الْمَكَانُ) أَيْ بِأَنْ خَرَجَ مِنْ الْمَسْجِدِ أَوْ تَجَاوَزَ الصُّفُوفَ، لَوْ الصَّلَاةُ فِي الصَّحْرَاءِ فَحِينَئِذٍ تَفْسُدُ كَمَا لَوْ مَشَى قَدْرَ صَفَّيْنِ دَفْعَةً وَاحِدَةً. قَالَ فِي شَرْحِ الْمُنْيَةِ: وَهَذَا بِنَاءً عَلَى أَنَّ الْفِعْلَ الْقَلِيلَ غَيْرُ مُفْسِدٍ مَا لَمْ يَتَكَرَّرْ مُتَوَالِيًا

(Radd Al-Muhtār, vol. 1, pg. 627, Darul Fikr Beirut)