Is it permissible to perform the Prayer of Fear where the Imam does not conclude the prayer with the first contingent?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of the Prayer of Fear
Primary text
The fifth form involves the Imam praying two Rak'ahs with the first contingent without concluding, then the first contingent concludes and departs without making up any part of the prayer, and the second contingent comes to pray two Rak'ahs behind the Imam, concluding the prayer with Taslim. This is supported by the narration of Jabir from the Battle of Dhat al-Riqa', where the Prophet prayed two Rak'ahs with one party and two with the other, resulting in four Rak'ahs for the Prophet and two for the people. This method is similar to the previous one, differing only in the absence of Taslim with the first group.
Supporting text
The view of the Judge, who interpreted this narration to mean the Prophet prayed the full prayer of residence (four Rak'ahs) and that each contingent made up the remaining two Rak'ahs, is rejected as fundamentally flawed. This contradicts the narration, the ruling of Imam Ahmad that all narrated forms are permissible, and the very nature of the Prayer of Fear, which necessitates shortening the prayer based on Quran 4:101. The interpretation forces the prayer to become complete when the context requires concession.