Fatwa n° 450

Category: Fatwas about Salât (Prayer) - Salât (Prayer) Description

Hastening to catch up with the prayer

Question:

What is the ruling regarding the one who goes to the mosque riding a bicycle, knowing that this makes him gasp while starting the prayer? Is his prayer correct if performed in this circumstance? May Allah reward you.

 

Answer:

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon whom Allah sent as a mercy to the Worlds, upon his Family, his Companions and his Brothers till the Day of Resurrection:

There is no objection over going to the mosque by a means of transport or on foot as it is proven in the Sunnah. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم circumambulated the Ka‘ba riding his she-camel (1). Whereas hastening to catch up with the prayer is forbidden in his saying صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: "When you hear Al-Iqâma (the announcement of the beginning of the prayer), walk with calm and solemnity to offer the prayer and do not make haste. And pray whatever you caught up and complete whatever you missed(2). Even though the prohibition in this hadith regards Al-Iqâma, yet there is another hadith that states the prohibition of hastening before Al-Iqâma too. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said: “If you come to the prayer, you have to be calm and pray whatever you caught up and complete whatever you missed(3). And his saying صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: “… if anyone of you head for the prayer, then he is already engaged in the prayer(4). And in another narration: “… he does not lift his right foot up unless Allah has recorded a good deed for him, and he does not put his left foot [on the earth unless] Allah has dropped a misdeed of him(6). Moreover, the prayer is correct because hastening is independent from it.   

The perfect knowledge belongs to Allah عزَّ وجلَّ. Our last prayer is all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon our Prophet, his Family, his Companions and Brothers till the Day of Resurrection.

 

Algiers, Jumâdâ Al-Ûlâ the 8th, 1427H.

Corresponding to: June the 4th, 2006.

 


(1) Narrated by Al-Bukhârî (1612) and by Muslim (1272), from the hadith of Ibn ‘Abbâs رضي الله عنهما.

(2) Narrated by Al-Bukhârî (636) and by Muslim (602), from the hadith of Abû Hurayrah رضي الله عنه.

(3) Narrated by Al-Bukhârî (635) and by Muslim (603), from the hadith of Abû Qatâda رضي الله عنه.

(4) Reported by Muslim (602) from the hadith of Abû Hurayra رضي الله عنه.

(5) Reported by Muslim (664), from the hadith of Jâbir رضي الله عنه.

(6) Reported by Abû Dâwûd (563) from the hadith of a man of Al-Ansâr (the Prophet supporters) رضي الله عنه. This hadith is judged authentic by Al-Albânî in “Sahîh Al-Jâmi‘ ” (689).

.: Every publication which has not been mentioned in the official website is not relied on, nor ascribed to the Sheikh :.

.: The website publications in other than Islamic occasions should not be kept up with the recent events of the nation or with the occurring

calamities because they are not informative publications, but they are jurisprudential, scientific and legal topics :.

.: The website administration prohibits reproducing, translating or utilizing any part of its material for trade purposes;

and authorizes benefiting from the content of the website for research

or Da`wa on condition that there should be a reference to the site when extracting information :.

All Rights Reserved (1424 H/2004 G – 1444 H/2022 G)