(What Should Be Done) If the Imam Delays The Prayer

Abu Dharr said:
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked me: 'How will you act, Abu Dharr, when you are under rulers who kill prayer or delay it (beyond its proper time) ?' I said: 'Messenger of Allah, what do you command me ?' He replied: 'Offer the prayer at its proper time, and if you say it along with them, say it, for it will be a supererogatory prayer for you.'"

حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي عِمْرَانَ، - يَعْنِي الْجَوْنِيَّ - عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ، عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ، قَالَ قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ كَيْفَ أَنْتَ إِذَا كَانَتْ عَلَيْكَ أُمَرَاءُ يُمِيتُونَ الصَّلاَةَ " . أَوْ قَالَ " يُؤَخِّرُونَ الصَّلاَةَ " . قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَمَا تَأْمُرُنِي قَالَ " صَلِّ الصَّلاَةَ لِوَقْتِهَا فَإِنْ أَدْرَكْتَهَا مَعَهُمْ فَصَلِّهَا فَإِنَّهَا لَكَ نَافِلَةٌ " .

Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud:

Amr ibn Maymun al-Awdi said: Mu'adh ibn Jabal, the Messenger of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to us in Yemen, I heard his takbir (utterance of AllahuAkbar) in the dawn prayer. He was a man with loud voice. I began to love him. I did depart from him until I buried him dead in Syria (i.e. until his death).

Then I searched for a person who had deep understanding in religion amongst the people after him. So I came to Ibn Mas'ud and remained in his company until his death. He (Ibn Mas'ud) said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: How will you act when you are ruled by rulers who say prayer beyond its proper time? I said: What do you command me, Messenger of Allah, if I witness such a time? He replied: Offer the prayer at its proper time and also say your prayer along with them as a supererogatory prayer.

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، دُحَيْمٌ الدِّمَشْقِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَوْزَاعِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي حَسَّانُ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَطِيَّةَ - عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ سَابِطٍ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ الأَوْدِيِّ، قَالَ قَدِمَ عَلَيْنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ الْيَمَنَ رَسُولُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلَيْنَا - قَالَ - فَسَمِعْتُ تَكْبِيرَهُ مَعَ الْفَجْرِ رَجُلٌ أَجَشُّ الصَّوْتِ - قَالَ - فَأُلْقِيَتْ عَلَيْهِ مَحَبَّتِي فَمَا فَارَقْتُهُ حَتَّى دَفَنْتُهُ بِالشَّامِ مَيْتًا ثُمَّ نَظَرْتُ إِلَى أَفْقَهِ النَّاسِ بَعْدَهُ فَأَتَيْتُ ابْنَ مَسْعُودٍ فَلَزِمْتُهُ حَتَّى مَاتَ فَقَالَ قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " كَيْفَ بِكُمْ إِذَا أَتَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أُمَرَاءُ يُصَلُّونَ الصَّلاَةَ لِغَيْرِ مِيقَاتِهَا " . قُلْتُ فَمَا تَأْمُرُنِي إِنْ أَدْرَكَنِي ذَلِكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ " صَلِّ الصَّلاَةَ لِمِيقَاتِهَا وَاجْعَلْ صَلاَتَكَ مَعَهُمْ سُبْحَةً " .

Narrated Ubadah ibn as-Samit:

After me you will come under rulers who will be detained from saying prayer at its proper time by (their) works until its time has run out, so offer prayer at its proper time. A man asked him: Messenger of Allah, may I offer prayer with them? He replied: Yes, if you wish (to do so).

Sufyan (another narrator through a different chain)said: May I offer prayer with them if I get it with them? He said: Yes, if you wish to do so.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ قُدَامَةَ بْنِ أَعْيَنَ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ هِلاَلِ بْنِ يِسَافٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الْمُثَنَّى، عَنِ ابْنِ أُخْتِ، عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ عَنْ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ الأَنْبَارِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، - الْمَعْنَى - عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ هِلاَلِ بْنِ يِسَافٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الْمُثَنَّى الْحِمْصِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي أُبَىِّ ابْنِ امْرَأَةِ، عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ عَنْ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " إِنَّهَا سَتَكُونُ عَلَيْكُمْ بَعْدِي أُمَرَاءُ تَشْغَلُهُمْ أَشْيَاءُ عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ لِوَقْتِهَا حَتَّى يَذْهَبَ وَقْتُهَا فَصَلُّوا الصَّلاَةَ لِوَقْتِهَا " . فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أُصَلِّي مَعَهُمْ قَالَ " نَعَمْ إِنْ شِئْتَ " . وَقَالَ سُفْيَانُ إِنْ أَدْرَكْتُهَا مَعَهُمْ أَأُصَلِّي مَعَهُمْ قَالَ " نَعَمْ إِنْ شِئْتَ " .