Praying Naafilah in Congregation

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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[1] Recorded by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim

[2] Recorded by Muslim

[3] Recorded by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim

[4] Recorded by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim

Ruling on Wiping Over the Khimaar and Turban

Question: Does wiping over one’s khimaar and turban replace wiping over the ears, due to their both being part of the head?

Shaykh al-Albaanee: My opinion, and Allaah knows best, is that at times it does replace it and at other times it doesn’t.  As for the condition in which it does replace wiping (the ears) then it is the state when the turban or the khimaar covers the entire head, including the ears. Thus, in this condition, the hadeeth would apply in that they (ears) are both part of the head literally.

As for the other condition in which it is not sufficient to just wipe over the turban or the khimaar, then it is when the turban or khimaar does not cover the ears. This means that the turban is wide or aloof from the ears… This is because there are three ways of wiping the head that have been established from the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

The first way: This is the most common and normal of his ways and it was that he would wipe all of his head directly.

The second way: If the turban or the khimaar covered the head, then it was sufficient to just wipe over the turban or khimaar, exactly like the head.

The third and final way: And this is the area that requires evidence and needs speculation. And it is when the turban will cover the last part of the head, yet expose the front of it (forehead). In this condition, the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would wipe over his head directly and then grasp his turban.

Source: Al-Asaalah Madazine, Issue 8