Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Bismillah-ir-rahman-nirrahim,

indeed you are doing a great job by guiding and giving us information about Islam in comparison to hadiths, Allah Subhana-Tala will reward you for this work and I pray to Allah for your success and prosperity. I need few clarifications about Salah-

while performing 4 sunat salah before farz during Zuhr, and Iqamat is called, can the salah be broken into 2 rakat. Please highlight!

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Answer:

Can one break sunnah prayer for fard

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

May Allah Subhanah reward you with the best of this world and the Hereafter for your kind comments of encouragement for our humble efforts in the propagation of the Truth. If our humble and modest efforts have helped even one brother or sister get closer to Allah and His Deen of Truth, then we would consider ourselves indeed fortunate to have been given this opportunity by the Lord Most Merciful to serve in His Cause. We hope, beg, and pray the Merciful Lord accepts our humble and weak efforts, forgives us our shortcomings, and saves you, us, and all the believers from the torment of the Hell Fire. Ameen.

Your Question: ….while performing 4 sunat salah before farz during Zuhr, and Iqamat is called, can the salah be broken into 2 rakat. Please highlight!

Ali ibn Shaiban relates that the Messenger of Allah (saws) saw a man praying (alone) behind the row (or rows of congregational prayer) and he (saws) waited for him and (when he finished) told him: "Go forward (and join the row) for the ‘salah’ of a person praying alone behind the rows is not valid."

Related by Ahmad, Ibn Majah, al-Baihaqi and Ahmad.

In light of the above guidance of the Messenger of Allah (saws) it is severely disliked that a person lets go or misses a part of the obligatory prayer in congregation, only so that he may fulfill his ‘nafl’ or ‘sunnah’ optional prayers.

If one has already started their ‘nafl’ or ‘sunnah’ prayer, and sees or hears the ‘iqama’ or call of the congregational obligatory prayer, one should simply break and leave their ‘nafl’ or ‘sunnah’ optional prayer and immediately join the rows to perform the congregational obligatory prayer with the believers.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan