Is it permissible to
perform Naafilah in congregation or should we say it is an innovation?
Response:
This requires clarification. This is because there are some nawaafil (voluntary
prayers) that are legislated to be performed in congregation like Salatul-Istisqaa
(prayer for rain), Salatul-Kusuf (prayer at an eclipse) – if we say Salatul-Kusuf
is Sunnah - and night prayer in Ramadaan. There are some nawaafil that
are not recommended to be performed in congregation like the regular Sunnah prayers
before or after the obligatory prayers and the night prayer other than in the
month of Ramadaan. However, there is no harm in performing it in congregation occasionally.
The proof of this is
that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) used to perform the
night prayer in congregation sometimes, just as Ibn Abbaas,[1] Hudhayfah bin Yamaan and
Abdullaah bin Mas’ood[2] observed it with him. And at
times, he used to perform other than the night prayer in congregation just as he
led Anas, Umm Sulaym and the orphan in prayer[3] and he also led a group of
people in the house of ‘Itbaan bin Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) when
he requested the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) to come to his house
and perform prayer in a spot, which he intends to designate as his praying place;
and the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) did so[4].
Source: Sharh al-Mumti’
alaa Zaad al-Mustaqni’, vol.2, p.100-101, by Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen
(may Allaah have mercy on him).
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