Fatwa's Insights - Worship

THE 36TH MEETING OF THE PERLIS STATE FATWA COMMITTEE / 2018

8 - 9 MAC 2018 / 20 - 21 JAMADIL AKHIR 1439H

CALL TO PRAYER FOR NON-OBLIGATORY PRAYERS

The call الصَّلَاةَ جَامِعَةً is not included in the procedures for Tarawih prayer, Witir prayer or Eid prayer. The call الصَّلَاةَ جَامِعَةً that is authentically established in hadith was performed for eclipse prayer which requires a call for the purpose of gathering people. This is because eclipse prayer during the time of the Prophet SAW became known immediately when it occurred. Thus it required a call for the purpose of assembling people. The lengthy hadith from Fatimah binti Qais regarding the account of al-Jassasah as narrated by Tamim al-Dari, as well as the hadith of 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin al-'Ash, both of which are found in Sahih Muslim, demonstrate that the call الصَّلَاةَ جَامِعَةً was proclaimed for the purpose of summoning people to gather. Therefore, the call الصَّلَاةَ جَامِعَةً is only proclaimed if there exists a similar purpose. Whereas if the congregation has already assembled, such as in the case of Tarawih prayer, Witir prayer, Eid prayer and the like, then there is no longer any need to proclaim the call الصَّلَاةَ جَامِعَةً. The Imam need only stand and recite the takbir for prayer. The Imam may inform the congregation of the type of prayer to be performed.