Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 3 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 784

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

شَرْحُ رِيَاضِ الصَّالِحِينَ مِنْ كَلَامِ سَيِّدِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَمَا صَحَّ فِيهِ الْحَدِيثُ، وَقَوْلُهَا رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا: «يُصَلِّي أَرْبَعًا فَلَا تَسْأَلْ عَنْ حُسْنِهِنَّ وَطُولِهِنَّ».

This is an explanation of Riyadh as-Salihin based on the words of the Master of the Messengers, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, as established in the authentic hadith. It refers to the words of the Prophet's wife, may Allah be pleased with her: 'He would pray four, and you need not ask about their excellence and length.'

قَدْ ظَنَّ بَعْضُ النَّاسِ أَنَّهَا أَرْبَعٌ مَجْمُوعَةٌ بِسَلَامٍ وَاحِدٍ، وَهَذَا خَطَأٌ؛ لِأَنَّهُ قَدْ جَاءَ مُفَصَّلًا مُبَيِّنًا أَنَّهَا أَرْبَعُ رَكَعَاتٍ يُسَلِّمُ مِنْ كُلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، وَأَرْبَعُ رَكَعَاتٍ يُسَلِّمُ مِنْ كُلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، وَثَلَاثُ رَكَعَاتٍ، فَيَكُونُ قَوْلُهَا: «يُصَلِّي أَرْبَعًا لَا تَسْأَلْ عَنْ حُسْنِهِنَّ وَطُولِهِنَّ، ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي» يَكُونُ فِيهِ دَلِيلٌ عَلَى أَنَّهُ إِذَا صَلَّى الْأَرْبَعَ بِسَلَامَيْنِ اسْتَرَاحَ قَلِيلًا، لِقَوْلِهَا: «ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي»، وَثُمَّ لِلتَّرْتِيبِ فِي الْمُهْلَةِ، ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي الْأَرْبَعَ عَلَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ السَّلَامُ.

Some mistakenly assume these four rak'ahs are performed together with a single concluding salutation. This is incorrect, as the details clarify he would perform the salutation after every two rak'ahs. Her statement, 'He would pray four, and you need not ask about their excellence and length, then he would pray,' indicates that after finishing the four rak'ahs with two salutations, he would pause. The word 'then' implies a sequence with a brief interval, followed by another four rak'ahs performed in sets of two, ending with the final salutation.

وَفِي هَذَا أُشِيرَ إِلَى أَنَّهُ لَا يَنْبَغِي لِلْإِنْسَانِ أَنْ يَتَعَجَّلَ فِي فَهْمِ النُّصُوصِ، بَلْ يَجْمَعُ شَوَارِدَهَا حَتَّى يَضُمَّ بَعْضَهَا إِلَى بَعْضٍ، وَيَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْأَمْرُ، حَتَّى إِنَّ بَعْضَ الْإِخْوَانِ الَّذِينَ بَدَؤُوا يَتَعَلَّمُونَ وَلَا سِيَّمَا عِلْمُ الْحَدِيثِ، صَارُوا يُصَلُّونَ بِالنَّاسِ فِي رَمَضَانَ أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ جَمِيعًا، وَهَذَا غَلَطٌ، غَلَطٌ عَلَى السُّنَّةِ، وَفَهْمٌ خَاطِئٌ؛ لِأَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سُئِلَ عَنْ صَلَاةِ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ: «مَثْنَى مَثْنَى»، وَهَذَا حَصَلَ فِي أَنَّهَا رَكْعَتَانِ رَكْعَتَانِ، وَلَا يُمْكِنُ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ أَرْبَعًا فِي اللَّيْلِ إِلَّا فِي بَعْضِ صُوَرِ الْوِتْرِ، يُصَلِّي خَمْسًا جَمِيعًا، وَسَبْعًا جَمِيعًا، وَتِسْعًا جَمِيعًا، إِلَّا أَنَّهُ يَتَشَهَّدُ فِي الثَّامِنَةِ.

This teaches us not to rush when interpreting texts. One must gather the scattered pieces of evidence until the full picture emerges. Some students, particularly those new to the study of hadith, have begun leading people in Ramadan by praying four rak'ahs continuously. This is a clear error and a misunderstanding of the Sunnah. When asked about night prayer, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Two by two,' meaning in pairs. It is impossible to pray four rak'ahs at night as a single unit, except in specific Witr configurations where one might pray five, seven, or nine together, provided the tashahhud is performed in the eighth rak'ah.

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Vocabulary · المفردات (25 verbs · 54 nouns)

• صَلَّى — to pray
• صَحَّ — to be authentic
• سَأَلَ — to ask
• شَرْح — explanation
• رِيَاض — gardens
• صَالِح — righteous (male)