The Ruling on the Imam Lagging Behind the Congregation in Prayer

The questioner : Our Shaykh, may Allah preserve you, some of my brothers asked me in the House of Allah the Sacred about a situation that occurs in some prayers by the imam. He stands behind the Muslims under what they call the loudspeaker or the broadcast, and in this position, there are rows in front of him; they are ahead of him while he is behind them. They asked what is the ruling on these rows that are ahead of the imam in such a situation. I hesitated to answer, eager to know your opinion on this matter, and may Allah reward you with good?

The Shaykh : The truth is that the question is not properly framed. It should be directed at the imam. The question should be: What is the ruling on the imam lagging behind these people? Because it is established that these people are not imams in knowledge; rather, they are followers of the people of knowledge. This is very important. Therefore, the question should be directed at this imam. Once the question is clarified, we say: There is no doubt that such lagging by the imam—and I do not say the advancing of the followers—there is no doubt that it contradicts the Sunnah of the Master of the Messengers (peace and blessings be upon him). However, there is nothing in the Shari'ah indicating that this act is invalid, after establishing that it contradicts the well-known, mass-transmitted Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), whether traveling or resident. But there is nothing indicating that this imam’s prayer is invalid. This is because it is not hidden from the people of knowledge and their students that establishing the invalidity of prayer is not sufficient merely by citing a matter issued by the Wise Lawgiver or reported from the Wise Lawgiver. That does not necessitate invalidity; rather, it necessitates contradiction of the noble Prophetic command. This, naturally, is the foundational position in this issue, as with many jurisprudential matters. Many matters are subject to factors that remove them from their original ruling. So we say: If this lagging by the imam is intentional, as we began or corrected the question, then he is a sinner. Yes. But if this lagging is accidental to him, and he is one of those followers, then his obligation is discharged, and the responsibility falls on those who are ahead of him.
We used to see this phenomenon when I was in al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, during the time of 'Umrah and the Hajj season. People would advance ahead of the imam who was praying in the mosque. They were praying in the passage between the Sharia court and the mosque. This passage was filled with worshippers. Here, the situation is completely different from that situation, because the imam here is fulfilling his duty. He led the people according to the Shari'ah, and approximately, I say, in the place where the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to lead. You know what I mean by "approximately." The responsibility here falls directly on the followers. But do they bear responsibility? We say: Whether the responsibility lies in this situation or the first one, we look at necessity. If necessity is established, the blame is lifted. Regarding the Prophet’s Mosque, regarding these followers ahead of the imam, there is no doubt that there is necessity, because the mosque is full, and in the intensity of the crowd, one who wants to leave the prayer to go around the circuit—this is almost like the Sacred Precinct of Makkah in its vastness, and so on. So here, it is said: Necessities and prohibitions. But regarding the phenomenon I was asked about, and which we saw on television, there is empty space in front of him, and we often see him praying near the Black Stone. Why this movement? I truly fear, and I fear most, that the ruling politics will intervene here and corrupt the Shari'ah rulings. Because, unfortunately, the image or images we saw recently are completely weak. Political hypocrisy. Glory be to Allah. Political hypocrisy. They want to deceive the Islamic world: "Look, we are the imams of the Sacred Mosque. Look at the people. Look at this." And so on. It appears they want to vary these appearances. Televisually. Sometimes the imam is at the Black Stone, and sometimes under the broadcast, as I said, and so on. And the truth is, I am very sorry that this phenomenon of political and social hypocrisy is dominant over the rulers of the Muslims, except for whom Allah wills, and they are few, and consequently over the employees of these rulers.
This imam who leads there under the broadcast, and sometimes at the Black Stone, excuse me, at the door of the Ka'bah, near the Black Stone, we receive good news about him. His recitation is good. But what does it mean that this long, extensive supplication contradicts the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), the Sunnah of the righteous Salaf, the four Imams, the fourteen, the forty, and so on? And on top of this, it contradicts the Sunnah in shortening the last rak'ah compared to the first rak'ahs. You know, Glory be to Allah, in the first rak'ah he says "Subhan," in the second "Qul ya ayyuha al-kafirun," in the third "Qul huwa Allahu ahad," often alone, and sometimes the two short surahs are added to it. But he prolongs the supplication to the extent that it equals two rak'ahs, or perhaps more, two long ones, two long ones. Ah. Then the broadcast. It captures these scenes, for example, the camera may focus, and Allah knows best, and it enlarges the scene so that the person is raising his hands. I beg you, just his head and he is raising his hands. What does this mean? What does this mean?
Allah is sufficient for me, and He is the best Disposer of affairs. My intention is that this imam should be advised to remain standing in his leading of the people, as the righteous Salaf did at the door of the Ka'bah. And I believe that the meaning of the scholars' saying is: "All good is in following those who came before, and all evil is in the innovation of those who came after." And he should not be deceived by appearances and people's love for this prolongation, even though they dislike it. I used to see some of them, and while in prayer, he was doing this. We cannot bear it. Ha? No, I mean his heart is elsewhere. My intention is to say his heart is elsewhere. Well, the best speech is what is brief and effective. And you know that the Messenger (peace be upon him) loved the concise ones of the supplications, and so on, as A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said. In short, if the imam lags behind the followers intentionally and deliberately, he has contradicted the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the Sunnah of the righteous Salaf, and the sayings of the Imams of the Muslims. This is the summary of the speech. But we have not found anything indicating the invalidity of this imam’s prayer, and consequently the invalidity of the prayer of those following him, whether he is the one to be blamed or they are the ones to be blamed. One very short word remains. The Hanafis say that the prayer of those who are ahead of the imam is invalid. And upon you be peace, please proceed.