WORSHIP | Fasting | Night prayer and taraaweeh |

The imaams elongating their supplication

Question: Some imaams in the masaajid, in Ramadhaan, elongate their supplication, and some of them shorten them, so what is correct?

Response: That which is correct is for it not to be excessive and nor to be short. So elongation which is difficult upon the people is forbidden. When news reached the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) that Mu'aadh Ibn Jabal (radhi-yallaahu 'anhu) elongated his prayer when he was with his people, the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) became so angry that he had not been angry in an exhortation similar to it before. And he said to Mu'aadh (radhi-yallaahu 'anhu):

«Are you a charmer O Mu'aadh?».

So that which is befitting is to shorten (the supplication) to that which has been reported (from the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam», or increase for there is no doubt that elongating is difficult fo rthe people as it exhausts them especially the weak amingst them. Amongst the people there are those who are around him who do not wish to leave until before the imaam, so it becomes difficult for them to remain behind with the imaam. So my advice to my brothers the imaams is (to strike an even balance and) be between that which is long and that which is short. Just as it is befitting to leave them supplication sometimes such that the general (Muslims) to dont think the supplication is obligatory.

Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen

Fataawa Ramadhaan - Volume 2, Page 832, Fatwa No. 829;

al-Fataawa libni 'Uthaymeen - Kitaab ad-Da'wah, Volume 1, Pages 198-199

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Published: 5 January 2000