The Call to Prayer
It contains two issues:
The First: Call to prayer during rain or extreme cold
Al-Bukhaaree in his saheeh hadeeth number 901 and Muslim hadeeth number 699 from 'Abdullah b. 'Abbas reported:
That he said to the Mu''adhdhin on a rainy day: When you have announced: "I testify that there is none worthy of worship but Allah; I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah," do not say:" Come to the prayer," but make this announcement:" Say prayer in your houses (sallū fee buyūtikum)" He (the narrator) said that the people disapproved of it. Ibn ''Abbas said: Are you astonished at it? He (the Holy Prophet), who is better than I, did it. Jumu''a prayer is no doubt obligatory, but I do not like that I should (force you) to come out and walk in mud and slippery ground.
Al Bukhaaree collected in his saheeh hadeeth number 623 and Muslim hadeeth number 697 from Naafi', Ibn 'Umar reported:
That he summoned (people) to prayer at a place (known as) Dajnan, and then said: Pray in your dwellings (sallū fee rihaalikum), he then informed us that, verily the Messenger of Allaah (sallaLlaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) used to command our Mu'adhin to call to prayer and say at the end: Pray in your dwellings (sallū fee rihālikum) in the very cold night or rainy night on the journey.
Ahmad (5/57 and 58), Aboo Daawood hadeeth number 1057) and Ibn Khuzaymah authenticated it hadeeth number 1657, likewise Ibn Hibbaan hadeeth number 2083 from Usaamah bn 'Umayr, he said: We were once with the Messenger of Allaah (sallaLlaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) on the occasion of (the Treaty of) Hudaybiyyah, then rain fell on us, but it didn't wet the soles of our shoes. Then, the caller (to prayer) of the Messenger of Allaah (sallaLlaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) called: Pray in your dwellings (sallū fee rihālikum).
Ibn Hibbān collected in his Saheeh hadeeth number 2076 from Ibn 'Umar: He found one of the night extremely cold, then he informed and taught those who were with him and they prayed in their dwellings. He then said: I saw Messenger of Allaah (sallaLlaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), if the condition (of the weather) is like this, he would command the people to pray in their dwellings.
And in Saheeh Muslim hadeeth number 698 from Jaabir, he said: We were with the Messenger of Allaah(sallaLlaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) on a journey, when it began to rain. Upon this he said: He who desires may pray in his dwelling.
I (Al-Halabee) say: There are points of benefits in these narrations:
The first: Permissibility of staying away from the mosque where congregational prayer is offered because of excuse.
Ibn Battāl said: The scholars agreed upon that staying away from the congregational mosque during excessive rain, wind and the likes is permissible.
Al-Qurtubee in Al-Mufhim (3/1218) after mentioning some of the mentioned narrations, he said: The apparent is permissibility if staying away from the congregation, due to the associated distress like rain, wind and cold and what has the meaning of these among the distress at home and on the journey.
The second: The Mu'adhin-during the cause of excuse-will change his utterance: Come to the prayer (hayya 'ala As-salaah) with: pray in your dwellings (sallū fee rihālikum) or ...your houses(... buyūtikum).
Another authentic reports (see the book Al-Adhan pp.87-99 of our honorable brother Usaamah Al-Qawsee) were also collected on the permissibility of uttering it after Al-Haya'latayn(that is: hayya 'ala sallah and hayyah 'alla al-falaah), likewise at the end of the call to prayer.. The issue is commodious Allaah willing.
The Third: There is no difference on the permissibility of staying away from the congregation during the cause of excuse, either the Mu'adhin say: pray in your dwellings or not.
The Fourth: Praying at the house-during the cause of excuse-is upon choice, it is not an obligation. Thus Al-Bukhaaree in his Saheeh(The Book of the Call to Prayer:Chapter 40): Chapter: It is permissible to pray at one's dwelling during rain or if there is a genuine excuse.
I say: This aid the ruling- staying away from the mosque during the rain-the generality of the utterance of the messenger of Allaah(sallaLlaahu 'alayhi wa sallam): Whosoever hears the call to prayer and does not answer it, his prayer will not be accepted except during the cause of excuse (Erwaa Al-Ghaleel hadeeth number:551)
There is no doubt that, rain-and the like-is an excuse. Allaahu A'lam.
The next (and the second) issue is how to call to prayer and make Iqaamah during combination of the two prayer.
We beseech Allaah to purify our hearts, grant us health and long life upon the correct creed.
