Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Unable to Recite al-Faatihah Due to Imam’s Speedy Recitation; Should He Pray Behind Him?

There is a mosque 900 meters away from my house but I don't hear the
adhan at all. I sometimes go there and they follow Imam AbuHanifa (ra)
and they recite al-Fatihah too fast.Most of the time I am in the 4th
or 5th verse of al-Fatiha and they go to rukoo'. So is it still
obligatory for me to attend the prayer there since I don't hear the
adhan and I can't finish reciting al-Fatiha, and the tranquility is
also notthere because of the quick recitation of the imam.
Praise be to Allaah.
If the imam does not recite at a moderate pace in his prayer, and he
recites al-Faatihah very quickly, and the person praying behind him is
not able to recite it behind him, then it is not valid for him to pray
behind him and the congregation has to look for another imam who will
recite at a moderate pace in his prayer, or they should go to another
mosque inwhich the people pray ata moderate pace, because reciting and
moving at a moderate pace in prayer is one of its essential parts.
Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If it is known that
the imam does not recite at a moderate pace in his prayer, and that he
does not stand long enough to allow the people praying behind him to
complete al-Faatihah, then you should not pray with him at all,
because it is not permissible to pray with him, as you are caught
between two things: either you will follow him and miss out on the
essential part of the prayer, or you will do the essential part of the
prayer and miss out on following the imam. We warn these imams about
such things. The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) have stated
that it is haraam for the imam to rush so much that it prevents the
person praying behind him from doing what is obligatory, and reciting
and moving at amoderate pace are obligatory. It is not acceptable for
such imams to be imams of the Muslims, and they should be dismissed
from the post of imam if they are employed as such. Those who are in
charge of imams should go around the mosques and if they find anyone
who is like this, and whois not doing what is required of an imam,
they should dismiss him, because this is a bad custom.
I say: if it is the habit of this imam to recite so quickly that the
person praying behind him cannot recite al-Faatihah, then the people
of the mosque have to ask for him to bedismissed, and if it is known
that a person is like that, he should not start to pray with him at
all and he should go to another mosque. End quote.
Liqa' al-Baab al-Maftooh,146/9
See also the answer to question no. 6551
It is obligatory for you topray in congregation in the mosque so long
as you are able to do so; tryto find a different mosque. For more
information on the evidence that it is obligatory to pray in
congregation, please seethe answer to question no. 40113
For more information onthe distance between the mosque and one's home
that makes it obligatory to pray in the mosque

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