Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 1 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 381

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

لِمِثْلِ هَذَا الْعَمَلِ فَتَرْكَعَ قَبْلَ الدُّخُولِ فِي الصَّفِّ وَتُسْرِعَ، قَالَ النَّبِيُّ: إِذَا أَتَيْتُمُ الصَّلَاةَ فَعَلَيْكُم بِالسَّكِينَةِ، فَمَا أَدْرَكْتُمْ فَصَلُّوا، وَمَا فَاتَكُمْ فَأَتِمُّوا.

Regarding such an action—bowing before joining the row and hurrying—the Prophet said: When you come to prayer, proceed with tranquility. Whatever you catch, pray with the congregation, and whatever you miss, complete it later.

وَلَمْ يَأْمُرْهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِقَضَاءِ الرَّكْعَةِ الَّتِي أَسْرَعَ لِإِدْرَاكِهَا، وَلَوْ كَانَ لَمْ يُدْرِكْهَا لَأَمَرَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِقَضَائِهَا؛ لِأَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا يُمْكِنُ أَنْ يُؤَخِّرَ الْبَيَانَ عَنْ وَقْتِ الْحَاجَةِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ مُبَلِّغٌ، وَالْمُبَلِّغُ يُبَلِّغُ مَتَى احْتِيجَ إِلَى التَّبْلِيغِ، فَإِذَا كَانَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ لَمْ يَقُلْ لَهُ: إِنَّكَ لَمْ تُدْرِكِ الرَّكْعَةَ عُلِمَ أَنَّهُ قَدْ أَدْرَكَهَا، وَفِي هَذِهِ الْحَالِ تَسْقُطُ عَنْهُ الْفَاتِحَةُ.

The Prophet did not command the man to make up the rak'ah he had rushed to join. Had he missed it, the Prophet would certainly have told him to repeat it, as he would never delay a necessary clarification. He was a messenger, and a messenger delivers guidance when it is required. Since the Messenger did not tell him he had missed the rak'ah, we know he had successfully caught it, and in such a case, the requirement to recite the Fatihah is waived.

وَهُنَاكَ تَعْلِيلٌ أَيْضًا مَعَ الدَّلِيلِ، وَهُوَ أَنَّ الْفَاتِحَةَ إِنَّمَا تَجِبُ مَعَ الْقِيَامِ، وَالْقِيَامُ فِي هَذِهِ الْحَالِ قَدْ سَقَطَ مِنْ أَجْلِ مُتَابَعَةِ الْإِمَامِ، فَإِذَا سَقَطَ الْقِيَامُ سَقَطَ الذِّكْرُ الْوَاجِبُ فِيهِ.

Beyond the scriptural evidence, there is a legal rationale: the Fatihah is only obligatory while standing. In this situation, the requirement to stand is waived to allow the follower to keep pace with the Imam. When the obligation to stand is lifted, the recitation required during that standing is lifted as well.

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Vocabulary · المفردات (27 verbs · 34 nouns)

• رَكَعَ — to bow
• أَسْرَعَ — to hasten
• قَالَ — to say
• عَمَل — work
• صَفّ — row
• نَبِيّ — prophet