Author: Shaykh Mubashir Ahmad Rabbani (Hafidhahullah)
Question:
If someone is offering Sunnah prayers for Fajr and the Iqamah is called, should they complete the Sunnah prayers or stop and join the congregation?
Answer:
Once the Iqamah for the obligatory (Fard) prayer has been called, no other prayer except the Fard prayer is permissible. If someone is offering Sunnah prayers, they should abandon them and join the congregation.
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said:
"إِذَا اُقِيْمَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَلَا صَلَاةَ اِلَّا الْمَكْتُوْبَةَ"
(“When the Iqamah for prayer is called, there is no prayer except the obligatory one.”)
[Muslim, Kitab Salat al-Musafirin, Hadith 710; Tirmidhi 421; Abu Dawood 1266; Nasa’i 866; Ibn Majah 1151]
Question:
If someone is offering Sunnah prayers for Fajr and the Iqamah is called, should they complete the Sunnah prayers or stop and join the congregation?
Answer:
Once the Iqamah for the obligatory (Fard) prayer has been called, no other prayer except the Fard prayer is permissible. If someone is offering Sunnah prayers, they should abandon them and join the congregation.
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said:
"إِذَا اُقِيْمَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَلَا صَلَاةَ اِلَّا الْمَكْتُوْبَةَ"
(“When the Iqamah for prayer is called, there is no prayer except the obligatory one.”)
[Muslim, Kitab Salat al-Musafirin, Hadith 710; Tirmidhi 421; Abu Dawood 1266; Nasa’i 866; Ibn Majah 1151]
Supporting Hadiths:
- Observation of the Prophet (ﷺ):
Abdullah bin Malik bin Buhaishah (رضي الله عنه) reported:
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw a man offering two Rakats after the Iqamah had been called. When the Prophet (ﷺ) completed the prayer, people surrounded the man, and the Prophet (ﷺ) asked him, 'Are you offering four Rakats for Fajr?'"
[Bukhari, Kitab al-Adhan, Hadith 663; Muslim 711] - Incident with Abdullah bin Abbas (رضي الله عنه):
Abdullah bin Abbas (رضي الله عنه) narrated:
"The Iqamah was called, and I stood to offer two Rakats. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) pulled me back and said, 'Are you offering four Rakats for Fajr?'"
[Hakim 1195; Abu Dawood 2736; Ibn Haban 221] - Incident in the Mosque:
Abdullah bin Sirjis (رضي الله عنه) narrated:
"A man entered the mosque while the Prophet (ﷺ) was leading the Fajr prayer. The man prayed two Rakats in a corner and then joined the congregation. After the prayer, the Prophet (ﷺ) asked him, 'Which of the two prayers did you count: the one you prayed alone or the one with us?'"
[Muslim, Kitab Salat al-Musafirin, Hadith 712; Abu Dawood 1265; Ibn Majah 1152]
Scholarly Explanation:
- Emphasis on Abandoning Sunnah Prayers After Iqamah:
The Prophet (ﷺ) explicitly forbade offering any prayer other than the obligatory one after the Iqamah. Even Sunnah prayers such as those of Fajr should be abandoned. Imam Shafi’i (رحمه الله) also prohibited offering Sunnah prayers after the Iqamah, emphasizing adherence to this instruction of the Prophet (ﷺ). - Practical Guidance from Umar (رضي الله عنه):
Umar ibn al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه) would reprimand those who offered Sunnah prayers during the Iqamah. He emphasized that engaging in Sunnah prayers while the congregation is about to begin is against the instructions of the Prophet (ﷺ). - Key Issues with Offering Sunnah During Iqamah:
- It disregards the command of the Prophet (ﷺ).
- It causes one to miss listening to the Quran recitation during the Fard prayer.
- It displays apparent disregard for joining the congregation promptly.
Conclusion:
- Sunnah prayers should be offered before the Iqamah.
- If the Iqamah is called, one must immediately abandon their Sunnah prayers and join the congregation.
- Continuing Sunnah prayers after the Iqamah opposes the Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ) and is a cause for reprimand.