The ruling on the imam leaving the obligatory prostration for forgetfulness
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
May Allah reward you. Honorable Shaykh, he says: The imam of our mosque, when he makes a mistake in the prayer, does not perform the prostration for forgetfulness. And when the congregation of the mosque complains, he says, "I do not want to disturb the congregation." What is the ruling on this action?
Answer:
There is a distinction regarding the prostration for forgetfulness. If the prostration is obligatory, it is necessary to perform it. The prostration for forgetfulness is not prolonged, nor is it made difficult. However, if the prostration is recommended, it is permissible to leave it. As for the obligatory prostration for leaving a part of the prayer, or for adding to the prayer by mistake, or for doubt in the prayer, this is obligatory. Is it permissible for the imam to leave it?
If he persists in leaving it, it is objectionable. We advise you to go to the responsible scholars. If they guide him, well and good; otherwise, they will replace you. This is a deficiency in the prayer. This deficiency in the obligatory effort is a deficiency in the prayer, and it may not be valid, because it is a deficiency in the validity. If he does not perform the prostration due to a deficiency in the prayer, or an addition to the prayer by mistake, or the doubt that occurs in the prayer, then it is not permissible to leave it. He must be reminded and advised. If he refuses, or otherwise, he will be replaced by someone else, because this is a deficiency in the prayer. He has no right to act in the prayer according to his own desire or according to his own independent legal reasoning. Because some people think that they have become scholars, and they choose and exercise independent legal reasoning, and they contradict the scholars, saying, "I choose and I exercise independent legal reasoning." This has happened with some of the practitioners. Such a person is not fit to be an imam.
May Allah reward you. Honorable Shaykh, he says: The imam of our mosque, when he makes a mistake in the prayer, does not perform the prostration for forgetfulness. And when the congregation of the mosque complains, he says, "I do not want to disturb the congregation." What is the ruling on this action?
Answer:
There is a distinction regarding the prostration for forgetfulness. If the prostration is obligatory, it is necessary to perform it. The prostration for forgetfulness is not prolonged, nor is it made difficult. However, if the prostration is recommended, it is permissible to leave it. As for the obligatory prostration for leaving a part of the prayer, or for adding to the prayer by mistake, or for doubt in the prayer, this is obligatory. Is it permissible for the imam to leave it?
If he persists in leaving it, it is objectionable. We advise you to go to the responsible scholars. If they guide him, well and good; otherwise, they will replace you. This is a deficiency in the prayer. This deficiency in the obligatory effort is a deficiency in the prayer, and it may not be valid, because it is a deficiency in the validity. If he does not perform the prostration due to a deficiency in the prayer, or an addition to the prayer by mistake, or the doubt that occurs in the prayer, then it is not permissible to leave it. He must be reminded and advised. If he refuses, or otherwise, he will be replaced by someone else, because this is a deficiency in the prayer. He has no right to act in the prayer according to his own desire or according to his own independent legal reasoning. Because some people think that they have become scholars, and they choose and exercise independent legal reasoning, and they contradict the scholars, saying, "I choose and I exercise independent legal reasoning." This has happened with some of the practitioners. Such a person is not fit to be an imam.
Source
صلاة إمام لا يسجد للسهو — alfawzan.live
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.