This view entails that the ruling in the had?th applies only on the one who hears the Iq?mah; the thing which contradicts the meaning included in the had?th which states “when you come to Sal?t” which encompasses the later as well. In fact, the [Iq?mah] specified narration only presents the reason that makes many people in general haste to the mosque. (1)
Hasting or pacing to the mosque, in order to catch the Ruk?‘ or even part of the congregational Sal?t with the Im?m is an act of disrespect to the Sal?t and causes calmlesseness and inconvenience amongst the praying people.
Ab? Hurairah ( - رضي الله عنه -) related that the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) said: ‘When you do Wud?’for Sal?t, do not interlock your fingers [when heading to the mosque]’. (2)
The prohibition in the had?th addresses whoever walks to the mosque to attend the congregational Sal?t -as stated in Ka‘b’s Ibn ‘Ajurah narration which states: The prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) said: ‘When you do perfect Wud?’ and head to the mosque to attend the congregational Sal?t, never interlock your fingers (I think he said) in the Sal?t’. In another narration, the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) is reported to have said: ‘When you enter the mosque, do not interlock your fingers, for you are considered in a state of doing Sal?t so long as you wait for it’. (3) According to this narration, the ruling encompasses whoever is waiting the Sal?t to be done. (4)
(1) “Fathul B?r?” (vol. 2 / p. 117).
(2) Narrated by At-Tabar?n? in “Al-Awsat” as reported in “Al-Majma‘ “(vol. 1 / p. 240). In its chain of narrators, there is ‘Atiq Ibn Ya‘q?b of whom none of Ahlul Had?th make mention,the other narrators are reliable. Ad-D?raqutn? and others considered him a reliable narrator. In At-Tabar?n?’s chain of narrators there is Muhammad Ibn ‘Ajl?n whom Im?m Muslim did not consider as reliable except when narrating from reliable narrators. See: “As-Silsilah As-Sah?hah” (no. 1299).
(3) Narrated by Ahmad in “Al-Musnad” (vol. 4 / pp. 243 - 4), Ibn Hibban in his “Sah?h” (vol. 3 / p. 293), Ab? D?w?d in his “Sunnan” (vol. 1 / p. 154) (no. 562) and At-Tirmith? in “Al-J?mi‘” (vol. 2 / p. 228) (no. 386). The had?th is authentic as mentioned in “Sah?h Al-Targib Wat Tarhib” (no. 293).
(4) There are authentic ah?d?th that state the legality of interlocking one’s fingers in the mosque. The prohibition in the ah?d?th mentioned earlier refers to the act that is done purposelessly; as for the other ones that bear the permissibility of ... =
= ... interlocking fingers in the mosque, it is done for the purpose of setting a touchable clarification for abstract conceptions such as the had?th that states: ‘Muslims are like one concrete structure; each part of which supports the other’. Then he ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) interlocked his fingers tightly together. ’This had?th was narrated by Al-Bukh?r? in his “Sah?h” (no. 481, 2446, 6026). See: “Fathul B?r?” (vol. 1 / p. 566) and “Tuhfatul Ahwath?” (vol. 2 / pp. 384, 394).