PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE YOU LEAD IN SALAH!

 

One of the unfortunately common practice one notice in masājid where Tarawīh or regular daily salawāt are lengthened is to see some individuals seated at the ablution centre waiting for the Imām to make rukū' so that they could quickly join. Some will actually wait for the second raka'ah so that they wouldn't experience the long standing in the second raka'ah.

As bad as this is, except that it is not a new thing, the prophet expressly warned against lengthening the salah till things like this happens.

A man came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! By Allah, I fail to attend the morning congregational prayer because so-and-so (i.e., Mu`adh bin Jabal) prolongs the prayer when he leads us for it." I had never seen the Prophet (ﷺ) more furious in giving advice than he was on that day. He then said, "O people! some of you make others dislike (good deeds, i.e. prayers etc). So whoever among you leads the people in prayer, he should shorten it because among them there are the old, the weak and the busy (needy having some jobs to do.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُقَاتِلٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي خَالِدٍ، عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ الأَنْصَارِيِّ، قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ لأَتَأَخَّرُ عَنْ صَلاَةِ الْغَدَاةِ مِنْ أَجْلِ فُلاَنٍ، مِمَّا يُطِيلُ بِنَا فِيهَا‏.‏ قَالَ فَمَا رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَطُّ أَشَدَّ غَضَبًا فِي مَوْعِظَةٍ مِنْهُ يَوْمَئِذٍ، ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏ "‏ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِنَّ مِنْكُمْ مُنَفِّرِينَ، فَأَيُّكُمْ مَا صَلَّى بِالنَّاسِ فَلْيُوجِزْ، فَإِنَّ فِيهِمُ الْكَبِيرَ وَالضَّعِيفَ وَذَا الْحَاجَةِ.

There is no problem in reciting as much as one can on salah, however, it must be with the condition of either one is praying alone or one is leading people accustomed with that type of salah. The recitation of three pages of the mushaf on salah is short for some people, while it is long for some other.

The key is to pay attention to people around us and not make them detest what they should enjoy ordinarily.

Worse are those who are yet to perfect their recitation, then moves forward to lead others in salah and then you start to hear "Mustoqeem!!",  And then you start doubting if your salah is valid.

If you still recite "Nastoiin" or " ihndinon" and the likes on fātihah, please do contact excellent reciters like Abu Imrān , Adejumo Muhammad Al-Edowi , Abubakar Ozemoya Irekpita Yusuf  or contact our madrasah Maqra'ah Islamic Academy . May Allah not deny us of our rewards of salah.