Darul Uloom Trinidad & Tobago

QUESTION:

As Salaamu Alaikum,

If you are in jamaat but only feel to do 2 rakahs how do you leave or join the salaah. And what about in the case of being sick or travelling, doing 2 rakats is not allowed in jamma, Correct?

ANSWER:

Wa Alaikum As Salaam,

If you are performing Salaah in Jamaat, then you will be required to follow the Imam and perform the Salah which the Imam is performing. You are not allowed to leave the Salaah in Jamaat when you have joined it, before the Imam completes the Salaah. Therefore, if the Imam is preforming four rakaats, and you join his Salaah, you will be required to perform the four rakaats with him. You cannot simply leave the Jamaat after performing two rakaats, while the Salaah in Jamaat is still in progress.

If you are a traveler (and have crossed the amount of miles/km to become a traveler as required by the Shairah), and have joined Salaah in Jamaat with the Imaam, then you will follow the Imaam until he completes the Fardh Salaah. This means that if he (the Imaam) is performing four rakaats (like Dhuhr, Asr or Isha Salaah), then you will be required to follow him and complete the four rakaats even though you are a traveler. However, if you are performing that Salaah individually, then you will perform 2 rakaats instead of 4. So too, if you are leading that Salaah (as a traveler), you will only perform 2. Those who may be behind you in that Salaah and are residents (non-travelers), will have to complete the four rakaats.

With respect to the case of being sick, there is no allowance for one to decrease  four rakaats of Fardh Salaah or Sunnah (Salaah) to only two rakaats. Therefore, if you have joined a four rakaat Salaah in Jamaah with the Imaam and you are sick, it will not be permissible for you to perform only 2 and leave the Imaam’s Salaah. As a sick person, you can perform your Fardh Salaah individually in a sitting posture, (in the Tashahud posture or on a chair, whatever is easier for you due to your sickness), and you can also shorten the length of your Quranic recitation, ruku and sujood (due to your sickness). You can also leave out the Nafl and non-emphasized Sunnah due to your state, but you cannot decrease a four rakaat Fardh Salaah to two rakaats due to your sickness or your state.

And Allah knows best

Mufti Waseem Khan

09/12/2020