then pray, for it is a supererogatory prayer for you.' It was narrated by Muslim (15). In another wording: 'If you pray at its time, it is a supererogatory prayer for you, and otherwise, you have safeguarded your prayer.' In another wording: 'If you catch the prayer with them, then pray, and do not say: I have already prayed, so I will not pray.' In another wording: 'For it is an increase of goodness.' This is an act that implies their immorality (fisq), yet he commanded him to pray with them. Furthermore, the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), 'Prayer in congregation is superior (17) to the prayer of an individual by twenty-five degrees' (18), is general and thus covers the issue in dispute. This is also because he is a man whose prayer is valid for himself, so leading the prayer behind him is valid, just as it is behind a just person. The argument for the first view is his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): 'Let no wicked person lead a believer in prayer, unless he forces him with his authority or his sword' (19). Also, because leading prayer involves taking responsibility for the recitation, and one cannot be certain he will not omit it, nor can one be certain he will not abandon some of its conditions, such as ritual purity, and there is no sign or preponderance of opinion to ensure against this. We have already responded to the [aforementioned] hadith, and the actions of the Companions are understood as being because they feared harm from leaving the prayer with them. We have narrated from ‘Ata’ and Sa’id ibn Jubayr that they were in the mosque while al-Hajjaj was delivering a sermon, and they performed the prayer by gesture (ima'). They only did so out of fear for themselves if they prayed in a manner that he would become aware of. We also narrated it from Qasamah ibn Zuhayr, who said: When such and such happened concerning so-and-so, Abu Bakrah (21) said to him: 'Step away from our place of prayer, for we do not pray behind you.' The hadith of Abu Dharr indicates the validity of [praying behind them] as a supererogatory act, while the dispute concerns the obligatory prayer.