Remaining Seated At The Beginning Of Tarawih Salah And Joining The Salah When The Imam Performs The Ruku

Darulifta Ahlesunnat

(Dawateislami)

Question

   What do the blessed Muftis state about the following matter?

   It is usually observed in Masajid that some people keep sitting without any reason in the back rows when the Hafiz Sahib starts Tarawih Salah uttering Takbeer-e-Tahrimah; they immediately stand up and join the Salah when the Hafiz Sahib performs the Ruku. How is this act of theirs as per Shariah?

بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

   During the Tarawih Salah or during the Qiyam of any Salah, some people keep sitting out of laziness in the back rows; they do not join the Salah when the Imam is in Qiyam, but when the Imam performs the Ruku, they immediately join the Salah. This act of these people is similar to the act of hypocrites and it is Makruh-e-Tahrimi, impermissible and a sin. However, if it is not out of laziness, but rather due to any reason such as the old age or weakness, it is not Makruh.

   In the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty has stated:

اِنَّ الۡمُنٰفِقِیۡنَ یُخٰدِعُوۡنَ اللّٰہَ وَ ہُوَ خَادِعُہُمۡ ۚ وَ اِذَا قَامُوۡۤا اِلَی الصَّلٰوۃِ قَامُوۡا کُسَالٰی ۙ

 یُرَآءُوۡنَ النَّاسَ وَ لَا  یَذۡکُرُوۡنَ اللّٰہَ  اِلَّا  قَلِیۡلًا ﴿۱۴۲﴾۫ۙ

   Translation from Kanz-ul-Iman: Undoubtedly, the hypocrites, in their assumption, desire to deceive Allah, and only He will destroy them by making them neglectful; and when they stand up for Salah, they therefore unwillingly do it for show, and they do not remember Allah but slightly.[1]

   According to the above-mentioned blessed Qura’nic verse, Shaykh-ul-Quran Abu Al-Saleh Mufti Muhammad Qasim Qadiri مَدظلہ العالی has written: ‘This is the sign of these hypocrites that when they stand to offer a Salah with believers, they stand unwillingly and lazily because they have no faith in their hearts by virtue of which they can enjoy the worship; they offer Salah merely to show off for people.’ [2]

   It is stated in Fatawa Qazi Khan:

یکرہ للمقتدی ان یقعد فی التراویح فاذا اراد الامام ان یرکع یقوم لانہ فیہ اظھار التکاسل والتشبہ بالمنافقین قال اللہ تعالیٰ واذا قاموا الصلوۃ قاموا کسالی[3]

   Allamah Ala-ud-Deen Haskafi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه has written:

یکرہ (ظاھرہ أنھا تحریمیۃ، شامی) تأخیرالقیام الی رکوع الامام للتشبہ بالمنافقین[4]

   About ‘It is not Makruh because of the old age and a disability’, Allamah Ibn-e-Abideen Shaami رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه has written:

اذالم یکن لکسل بل لکبرونحوہ لایکرہ[5]

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَرَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم