Darulifta Ahlesunnat (Dawateislami)
What do the noble scholars and jurists of Islamic law say about the following: In the five daily prayers, it is observed that after the jama’ah is complete there are many masbooq who stand to complete their remaining salah and there are many people sitting in the rows ahead who have completed their salah. In this case, is it permissible for the Imam to turn towards the people after performing salam to give a dars or recite his wazai’f (invocations)? Is it true that the ones sitting in the former rows will serve as a ‘sutrah’ (barrier) because it isn’t necessary for the sutrah to be the length of the one offering salah?
Furthermore, also tell me if the prohibition of facing the one offering salah is only for those offering individually and is it irrelevant to jama’ah? Similarly, after the Imam has completed his sunnah, many people are offering their sunnah directly in front of the pulpit. In this case, is it allowed to sit on the pulpit immediately? Please provide guidance about this with proof.
بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَايَةَ الْحَقِّ وَ الصَّوَابِ
It is Makruh Tahrimi, impermissible, and a sin for one to face a person offering salah from in front of him regardless of whether he is offering individually or as a masbooq; the ruling is the same in both cases. Further, the Imam is permitted to turn towards the people after salah only when there is no masbooq offering salah in front of him. Therefore, if there is anyone offering salah directly in front of him, even if he is in the last row and people are sitting in the former rows, in any case, it is impermissible for the Imam to face the one offering salah. This opinion is in accordance with ‘Zahir Al-Riwayah’, it is ‘Rajih’ (preferred), and ‘Mufta Bih’ (according to which the fatwa is given) because when the one offering salah will stand, he will inevitably be facing the imam which is not allowed.
The answer to the question is also clear from the preface that for the imam to face the masbooq after finishing his salah to give dars or recite his waza’if is impermissible in shari’ah. This is because though those sitting in the former rows will prevent the imam from facing the one offering salah while he is sitting or in sajdah, but when he stands, the face of the imam will be in the direction of the masbooq and this is sufficient for the prohibition. Similarly, it is not correct for the Imam to sit on the pulpit facing the one offering salah immediately after offering the sunnah. Either the Imam should wait for them to complete their salah then sit on the pulpit or before sitting on the pulpit, have someone stand in front of him so that he becomes a complete barrier between him and the one offering salah and they’re not in alignment with each other at all. In this way, it will be completely permissible for the Imam to sit facing the people because the Karahah (being Makruh) is based on ‘Muhazat’ (alignment with each other). When this isn’t found, the Karahah will not remain as is clear from the upcoming Juz’iyat (text excerpts).
وَ اللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَ اٰلِہٖ وَ سَلَّم
(Allah Almighty knows best and His Messenger صَلَّى اللہُ عَلَيْهِ وَ اٰلِهٖ وَ سَلَّم knows best.)
Answered By: Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari
Ref No: HAB-0396
Date: 19th Muharram Al-Haraam 1446 AH / 26th July 2024