28TH April 2017
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Question: When attending the congregational Salāh behind the Imām, if the rows are full in the lines ahead, can you start your Salāh whilst standing alone in the back row or must you pull someone from the front to join you in your Salāh as I have heard that standing alone in the back row is makrooh?
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
In reference to your query, there are various opinions as to what this person should do in this case. Some say he should pull someone in front of him to stand by his. Others suggest that he should wait however long it takes until someone arrives to join him in the row [even if he ends up missing a rak’at]. Another opinion which many consider as more favourable is that he should wait until the Imām proceeds into ruku and by then if no one joins him, he should pull someone. Allāmah Shāmi rahimahullah (a renowned Hanafi jurist) is inclined towards consigning the matter to the discretion of the individual at the time and be cautious not to pull someone who is ignorant of the ruling lest that he may end up breaking his Salāh due to his ignorance. In this case, it is better to stand alone if all happen to be ignorant. Otherwise, if the person in front is a scholar or practising (with this expectation that he knows mas’alah) then he should pull him.[1]
Therefore, what you should do initially is to wait until someone arrives to join you. If no one arrives and the Imām is about to proceed in ruku then you can pull someone in front just before ruku. Do not resort to pulling someone in front of you unless you know that the person in front knows the legal ruling on the matter.
[Allãh Knows Best]
Written by (Mufti) Abdul Waheed
Answer Attested by Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] Durrul Mukhtār wa hashiyah Ibn Ābideen Shāmi, Kitābus Salāh, Bāb ma yufsidu Salāt wa ma yukrahu, vol 2, p. 416
بَابُ مَا يُفْسِدُ الصَّلَاةَ، وَمَا وَيُكْرَهُ فِيهَا
وَكَذَا الْقِيَامُ مُنْفَرِدًا وَإِنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ فُرْجَةً بَلْ يَجْذِبُ أَحَدًا مِنْ الصَّفِّ ذَكَرَهُ ابْنُ الْكَمَالِ، لَكِنْ قَالُوا فِي زَمَانِنَا تَرْكُهُ أَوْلَى، فَلِذَا قَالَ فِي الْبَحْرِ: يُكْرَهُ وَحْدَهُ إلَّا إذَا لَمْ يَجِدْ فُرْجَةً
(قَوْلُهُ لَكِنْ قَالُوا إلَخْ) الْقَائِلُ صَاحِبُ الْقُنْيَةِ فَإِنَّهُ عَزَا إلَى بَعْضِ الْكُتُبِ أَتَى جَمَاعَةً وَلَمْ يَجِدْ فِي الصَّفِّ فُرْجَةً قِيلَ يَقُومُ وَحْدَهُ وَيُعْذَرُ، وَقِيلَ يَجْذِبُ وَاحِدًا مِنْ الصَّفِّ إلَى نَفْسِهِ فَيَقِفُ بِجَنْبِهِ. وَالْأَصَحُّ مَا رَوَى هِشَامٌ عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ أَنَّهُ يَنْتَظِرُ إلَى الرُّكُوعِ، فَإِنْ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ وَإِلَّا جَذَبَ إلَيْهِ رَجُلًا أَوْ دَخَلَ فِي الصَّفِّ، ثُمَّ قَالَ فِي الْقُنْيَةِ: وَالْقِيَامُ وَحْدَهُ أَوْلَى فِي زَمَانِنَا لِغَلَبَةِ الْجَهْلِ عَلَى الْعَوَامّ فَإِذَا جَرَّهُ تَفْسُدُ صَلَاتُهُ اهـ قَالَ فِي الْخَزَائِنِ قُلْت: وَيَنْبَغِي التَّفْوِيضُ إلَى رَأْيِ الْمُبْتَلَى، فَإِنْ رَأَى مَنْ لَا يَتَأَذَّى لِدِينٍ أَوْ صَدَاقَةٍ زَاحَمَهُ أَوْ عَالِمًا جَذَبَهُ وَإِلَّا انْفَرَدَ. اهـ. قُلْت: وَهُوَ تَوْفِيقٌ حَسَنٌ اخْتَارَهُ ابْنُ وَهْبَانَ فِي شَرْحِ مَنْظُومَتِهِ (قَوْلُهُ فَلِذَا قَالَ إلَخْ) أَيْ فَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ الْجَذْبَ لِمَا مَرَّ