Darul Uloom Trinidad & Tobago

QUESTION:

As Salaamu Alaikum

Dear Mufti,

I will like to find out if it is permissible for an Imam, an Alim or any person, to lead the Eid Salah twice. The situation is that the Imam came to one group, led the Eid Salah and conducted the Khutbah. After completing this, he went to another group of Muslims on the same day and led them in the Eid Salah. Is this permissible?

ANSWER:

Wa Alaikumus Salam

In answering the above question, there are some fundamental points that must be understood.

The first is with respect to the ruling of the Eid Salaah. In this regard, there are some differences of opinions among the Imams of Fiqh which are as follows: –

• Imam Malik (AR) and Imam Ash Shafi’e (A.R) are of the view that it is Sunnah Al Mu’akkadah (an emphasized and firm practice of the Prophet (S.A), which must not be neglected).

Another opinion of the Shafi’ee Madhab is that it is Fardh Al Kifayah. The great 5^th century Shaikh and Scholar of the Shafi’ee Madhab, Imam Ar Ruyani (born 425 A.H) wrote in his monumental work, ‘Bahr Al Madhab Fi Furu Al Madhab Ash Shafi’ee’ that if the Muslims of a city all agree to neglect the Eid Salah, then the Muslim ruler of that county must fight against them, since they have neglected a symbol of Islam and have belittled the religion of Allah. Having written this, Imam Ar Ruyani stated, ‘This is the most correct opinion to me in the Shafi’ee Madhab’. (Bahr Al Madhab – Kanz Ar Raaghibeen Sharh Minhaj At Taalibeen Vol. 1 pages. 380, 381 Dar Al Kutub Al Ilmiyah 2010)

The above shows that although the ruling of Eid Salah may be deemed as Sunnah Al Mu’akkdah by Imam Ash Shafi’ee (A.R) and Imam Malik (A.R), it must not be taken lightly as other Sunnah Salah. Instead, it must be well-established among the Muslims and must not be neglected.

• Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (AR) states that it is Fardh al Kifayah (compulsory on a sufficing basis).
• Imam Abu Hanifah (A.R) states that it is Wajib (essential) upon all those Muslims on whom the Jumu’ah salaah has become essential. This is also an opinion of Imam Ahmad (A.R). (Al Fiqh Al Islami wa Adillatuhu Vol. 2 Pgs 1387, 1388 Maktaba Rasheediya Queta)

In light of the above, it is evident that Eid Salaah is not simply an optional (Nafl) salaah or an ordinary Sunnah. Instead, it is a very strong and emphasized teaching of the Prophet (S.A) which many of the great Imams of Fiqh, Tafseer and Hadeeth have regarded to be essential upon a Muslim male who has reached the age of puberty and the salaah of Jumu’ah has become essential upon him.

The second point to be understood is that when a person or an Imam leads other people in a salaah which is essential to be done, then by leading that salaah,his duty to Allah has been fulfilled, and the essential/compulsory nature of that salaah is now lifted from him. If he performsthat same salaah again, by either doing it individually or leading a group as an Imam, then it will be regarded as an optional (Nafl) salaah for him, since he had already fulfilled what was essential upon him.

Therefore, in the situation which you have asked about, the Imam, by leading the first group of people in the Eid Salaah, had already fulfilled his essential duty to Allah by performing the Eid Salaah and leading others in it. On account of this, the Eid salaah no longer remained as Sunnah Al Muakkadah, Wajib or Fardh upon him. If he performs it again, individually as a follower, or leads another group in it as an Imam, then it will be deemed as two rakaats of optional (Nafl) Salah and not two rakaats of Eid Salaah, since he had already fulfilled his duty of Eid Salaah with the first group.

As such, (in the above case),when the Imam led the second group in Eid Salaah, his two rakaats became two Nafl (Optional) rakaats, while the Muslims who were being led, were performingtwo rakaats of Eid Salaah which were either Sunnah Al Muakkah, Wajib (essential) or Fardh (based upon the differences of the Imams of Fiqh).

As highlighted before, the repeated salaah performed by the Imam in this case, is considered to be Nafl (optional), as mentioned by all the four Imams of Fiqh. In this regard, the great scholar, Dr Wahbah Az Zuhaili writes in his monumental work, ‘The Madhab of Imam Abu Hanifah (A.R) states ‘the second salaah (the repeated one) becomes Nafl (optional) based on the evidence of Yazeed bin Aswad’

The Madhab of Imam Malik (A.R) states, ‘The repeated salaah falls under the Hukm (ruling) of Nafl (optional) salaah’

The Madhab of Imam Ash Shafi’e (A.R) states, ‘When a person performs salaah and then repeats it with congregation, then the Fardh salaah is the first one, because of the narration of Yazeed bin Aswad, where the Prophet (S.A) considered his second salaah to be optional (Nafl). And it is so because the duty of the Fardh was fulfilled (and dropped off) with the first salaah, and hence, it is necessary that the second one becomes Nafl (Optional)’.

The Madhab of Imam Ahmad (A.R) states, ‘And the person’s first salaah is his Fardh because of the Hadith of Yazeed bin Aswad, and the repeated one is optional’. (Al Fiqh Al Islami Wa Adillatuhu Vol. 2 Pgs. 1185, 1186 Maktaba Rasheediya Queta).

It is clearly evident from these statements, based on the narration of Yazeed bin Aswad, that in the above case of the Imam, his firstEid salaah was fulfilled as his Wajib or Fardh Eid Salaah, and his second one which he led (the second group of Muslims in), was a Nafl salaah and not an Eid Salaah.

The third matter is, ‘Can Muslims who are performing a Fardh, Wajib or Sunnah Al Mu’akadah salaah like Eid, be led by one who is performing a Nafl (Optional) salaah. Imam Ash Shafi’e (AR) gives an allowaince for this, however, according to the Madhab of Imam Ahmad (AR), Imam Malik (AR) and Imam Abu Hanifa (AR), this is not allowed. In other words, one whose salaah is considered as being Nafl (optional) cannot lead others whose salaah is Fardh, Wajib or Sunnah Al Muakadah. Therefore, one who is performing a salaah which is essential upon him, cannot be led by one who is performing a Nafl (optional) salaah.

While writing on this, Dr Wahba Az Zuhaili states: –

The Madhab of Imam Abu Hanifa (A.R) states, ‘One who is performing an essential/compulsory salaah cannot be led by, or perform salaah behind one who is performing a Nafl salaah’.

The Madhab of Imam Malik (A.R) states, ‘And one can repeat a salaah if he is a follower, but it is not correct/permissible to repeat a salaah as an Imam, just as the Madhab of Imam Abu Hanifah states.’

The Madhab of Imam Ahmad (A.R) states, ‘It is not correct/permissible for one who is performing an essential/compulsory salaah to follow (perform salaah behind) one who is performing a Nafl Salaah’.(Al Fiqh Al Islami Wa Adillatuhu Vol.2 Pages 1185, 1186, 1243 Maktaba Rasheediya Queta; Bidayatul Mujtahid Vol. 1 pages 145,146 – Manshoorat Ash Sharif Ar Radhi Qum 1406 A.H; Al Majmoo’ Sharh Al Muhadhab vol 5 pages 265, 266. Dar Al Kutub Al Ilmiya Beirut 2007;HashiyaRadd Al Muhtaar Ala Ad Durr Vol. 1 page 579 H.M Saeed Karachi; Al Mughni – Ibn Qudama Vol. 2 pages 255,226 Maktaba Al Jumhooriya Al Arabiya Cairo).

The author of Kitab Al Fiqh Ala Al Madhahib Al Ar’ba’a states, ‘And from the conditions of being an Imam is that the state of the Imam must not be lower than that of the Muqtadi (followers). Therefore, it is not correct/ permissible for one performing a Fardh or Wajib salah to follow one who is performing a Nafl salah according to all Imams except Imam Ash Shaf’ee. (Kitab Al Fiqh Ala Al Madhahib Al Arba’a Vol 1 page. 418 Dar Al Fikr Beirut).

In the above case, when the Imam led Eid salaah for the second group, his salaah became Nafl (Optional), since he had already fulfilled his duty of Eid salaah with the first group.So, although in his heart, he would have made an intention for leading Eid salaah, and he thought to himself that it was an Eid salaah, the reality is that he was leading two Nafl (Optional) rakaats of salaah for Muslims who were performing their Eid salaah.For this second group, their Eid Salaah was Fardh, Wajib or Sunnah Al Mu’akkadah upon them, and it could not have been led by someone who was simply performing two Nafl (Optional) rakaats of Salaah.

According to the three Imams of Fiqh, the action of a person who becomes the Imam for two separate groups for the same Eid salaah is totally wrong and impermissible.

In this case, the Eid Salaah of the first group would be valid, since they were in the same salaah of Eid with the Imam. As for the second group, their Eid Salaah would not be valid because they were led by one whose salaah became optional (Nafl) while their salaah was essential (Wajib, Fardh or at least Sunnah Al Mu’akkadah).

This has been clearly stated in many books of Fatawa.

In this regard, the late grand Mufti of India, Mufti Azeezur Rahman (AR) wrote, ‘A person cannot lead Jumu’ah or Eid Salaah two times. If he does this, then the salaah of the second group would not be valid since the second salaah of the Imam was Nafl (optional), and one who is performing a Fardh or Wajib salaah cannot be led by one who is performing a Nafl (Optional) salaah.  (Fatawa Darul Uoom Deoband Vol. 5 Pgs 224, 225 Darul Isha’at Karachi 1986).

Similarly, when the great Mufti of India, Mufti Salman Mansoorpuri (D.B), was asked about an Imam who leads Eid Salah in one place and then comes to another place to lead the same Eid Salah with another group,he wrote, ‘The Eid Salah which the Imam ledfor the second group was not an Eid Salah, but was a Nafl (optional) Salah’. (Kitab An Nawazil Vol. 5 page – 355 Darul Isha’at Karachi 2016).

In a like manner, when asked about if an Imam can lead Eid ul Fitr Salah at two different places, the Department of Iftaa of the most renowned and famous Islamic Institute in Karachi, Jamia Al Uloom Islamiya wrote, ‘An Imam cannot lead the Eid Salah at two places. If an Imam leads people in Eid Salah at two places, then the Eid Salah of the second group is not valid and accepted as Eid Salah’. (Fatawa No 144110200070 Jamia Al Uloom Al Islamiya, Allama Yusuf Benori Town, Karachi)

And Allah Knows best

Mufti Waseem Khan

03/05/2023