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الفتح الربانی
Fath al-Rabbani
أبواب المساجدChapters on Mosques
بَابُ الرُّخْصَةِ فِي صَلَةِ الْفَرْضِ عَلَى الرَّاحِلَةِ لِعُذْرٍChapter on the Concession of Praying Obligatory Prayers on a Mount Due to Excuse
Hadith 1472
اُردوEn
عَنْ يَعْلَى بْنِ مُرَّةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ انْتَهَى إِلَى مَضِيقٍ هُوَ وَأَصْحَابُهُ وَهُوَ عَلَى رَاحِلَتِهِ وَالسَّمَاءُ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ وَالْبِلَّةُ مِنْ أَسْفَلِهِمْ، فَحَضَرَتِ الصَّلَاةُ، فَأَمَرَ الْمُؤَذِّنَ فَأَذَّنَ وَأَقَامَ، ثُمَّ تَقَدَّمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَى رَاحِلَتِهِ فَصَلَّى بِهِمْ يُوْمِئُ إِيمَاءً يَجْعَلُ السُّجُودَ أَخْفَضَ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ أَوْ يَجْعَلُ سُجُودَهُ أَخْفَضَ مِنْ رُكُوعِهِ
Sayyiduna Ya'la bin Murrah رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and the Companions went towards a narrow place. He was on his mount. The situation was such that rain was falling from above and there was mud below. Meanwhile, the time for prayer arrived. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم ordered the muezzin, so he gave the adhan and then the iqamah. Then the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم moved forward on his mount and led them in prayer. He صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم indicated for ruku‘ and sujud (bowing and prostration) and for sujud he indicated by lowering himself a little more than for ruku‘.
Brief Explanation
Benefits: … This narration is weak, but in cases of excuse and necessity, it is permissible to perform obligatory prayer on a mount. The evidences are as follows, and the second evidence is clearer:
(1) … The command of Allah, the Exalted, is: {لَا یُکَلِّفَ اللّٰہُ نَفْسًا اِلَّا وُسْعَھَا} (Surah al-Baqarah: ) Meaning: Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity. This is a general rule; every person, fearing Allah, can assess his own ability and act accordingly—for example, by praying while sitting or lying down, or by performing tayammum (dry ablution) instead of ablution (wudu) or ritual bath (ghusl), or by praying on the ground or on a mount. Also, consider the following two points:
(a): … The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam ordered the woman experiencing istihada (non-menstrual vaginal bleeding) to perform prayer, even though blood would flow from her private part during the prayer; however, it was necessary for her to perform ablution (wudu) before each prayer.
(b): … The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam validated the prayer of the companion who, due to the absence of water, performed prayer without ablution (wudu), even though the concession of tayammum (dry ablution) had not yet been given. Imam al-Nasa’i rahimahullah derived this ruling from this hadith and rightly said that if a person has neither water nor earth (for tayammum), he will perform prayer without ablution or tayammum, because the reason and cause are the same. If, despite bleeding and without ablution, permission can be given to perform prayer, then certainly, in case of an excuse, performing prayer on a mount is also permissible. Readers should keep in mind that nowadays such situations arise where neither water nor earth is accessible to the worshipper. In these times, the scenario in which a mount is considered an excuse is when a person is traveling on a vehicle, continuing the journey is a necessity for him, and the vehicle’s administration, despite people’s insistence, is not willing to stop the vehicle; in such a case, there is no harm in performing prayer on the mount. If it is a personal vehicle, or if a delay would not cause any problem for the traveler, then in such a case, one should avoid performing prayer on the mount.
(2): … Allah, the Exalted, said: {حَافِظُوْا عَلَی الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلٰوۃِ الْوُسْطٰی وَقُوْمُوْا لِلّٰہِ قٰنِتِیْنَ۔ فَاِنْ خِفْتُمْ فَرِجَالًا أَوْ رُکْبَانًا فَاِذَا اَمِنْتُمْ فَاذْکُرُوْا اللّٰہَ کَمَا عَلَّمَکَُمْ مَّا لَمْ تَکُوْنُوْا تَعْلَمُوْنَo} (al-Baqarah: 238, 239) Meaning: Guard strictly the prayers, especially the middle prayer, and stand before Allah with devotion. If you are in fear, then (pray) on foot or riding; but when you are secure, remember Allah as He has taught you what you did not know. In this blessed verse, Allah, the Exalted, has commanded that due to fear of the enemy, obligatory prayer may be performed while walking or riding. This excuse is mentioned incidentally; otherwise, in any other case of necessity, this verse can also be acted upon.
(3) … When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was asked about performing prayer on a boat, he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam replied: ((Pray in it standing, unless you fear drowning.)) (al-Bazzar: 68, al-Daraqutni: ) That is, perform prayer standing in the boat, but if you fear drowning (then pray sitting). Regarding the third evidence, readers may themselves consider whether a boat can be called a mount.
(1) … The command of Allah, the Exalted, is: {لَا یُکَلِّفَ اللّٰہُ نَفْسًا اِلَّا وُسْعَھَا} (Surah al-Baqarah: ) Meaning: Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity. This is a general rule; every person, fearing Allah, can assess his own ability and act accordingly—for example, by praying while sitting or lying down, or by performing tayammum (dry ablution) instead of ablution (wudu) or ritual bath (ghusl), or by praying on the ground or on a mount. Also, consider the following two points:
(a): … The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam ordered the woman experiencing istihada (non-menstrual vaginal bleeding) to perform prayer, even though blood would flow from her private part during the prayer; however, it was necessary for her to perform ablution (wudu) before each prayer.
(b): … The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam validated the prayer of the companion who, due to the absence of water, performed prayer without ablution (wudu), even though the concession of tayammum (dry ablution) had not yet been given. Imam al-Nasa’i rahimahullah derived this ruling from this hadith and rightly said that if a person has neither water nor earth (for tayammum), he will perform prayer without ablution or tayammum, because the reason and cause are the same. If, despite bleeding and without ablution, permission can be given to perform prayer, then certainly, in case of an excuse, performing prayer on a mount is also permissible. Readers should keep in mind that nowadays such situations arise where neither water nor earth is accessible to the worshipper. In these times, the scenario in which a mount is considered an excuse is when a person is traveling on a vehicle, continuing the journey is a necessity for him, and the vehicle’s administration, despite people’s insistence, is not willing to stop the vehicle; in such a case, there is no harm in performing prayer on the mount. If it is a personal vehicle, or if a delay would not cause any problem for the traveler, then in such a case, one should avoid performing prayer on the mount.
(2): … Allah, the Exalted, said: {حَافِظُوْا عَلَی الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلٰوۃِ الْوُسْطٰی وَقُوْمُوْا لِلّٰہِ قٰنِتِیْنَ۔ فَاِنْ خِفْتُمْ فَرِجَالًا أَوْ رُکْبَانًا فَاِذَا اَمِنْتُمْ فَاذْکُرُوْا اللّٰہَ کَمَا عَلَّمَکَُمْ مَّا لَمْ تَکُوْنُوْا تَعْلَمُوْنَo} (al-Baqarah: 238, 239) Meaning: Guard strictly the prayers, especially the middle prayer, and stand before Allah with devotion. If you are in fear, then (pray) on foot or riding; but when you are secure, remember Allah as He has taught you what you did not know. In this blessed verse, Allah, the Exalted, has commanded that due to fear of the enemy, obligatory prayer may be performed while walking or riding. This excuse is mentioned incidentally; otherwise, in any other case of necessity, this verse can also be acted upon.
(3) … When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was asked about performing prayer on a boat, he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam replied: ((Pray in it standing, unless you fear drowning.)) (al-Bazzar: 68, al-Daraqutni: ) That is, perform prayer standing in the boat, but if you fear drowning (then pray sitting). Regarding the third evidence, readers may themselves consider whether a boat can be called a mount.
