The Ruling on Following the Imam in the Closing Salam
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The questioner:
When the imam is leading the Friday prayer, he says the salam to the right and lowers his hand, then to the left and lowers his hand.
The Shaykh:
This person is asking about the case where the followers say the salam with the imam: do they say the first salam with the first one, and the second with the second? The answer is that there is no harm in this; it is valid and does not invalidate the prayer. However, the Sunnah, and what is better and more preferable, is for them to wait until the second salam. They should not rush. When the imam says the first salam, they do not say it until he says the second one. This is based on the soundness of the hadiths and the principle of following the imam. If they say the first salam after the imam’s first, and the second after his second, and the prayer is established, then there is no blame on them. However, they have left what is better, more complete, and safer. They should be deliberate and not rush until the imam finishes. When he says the second salam, they say it. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This means they wait until he says the second one. This is the safest and most complete course of action. If they say the first after the first and the second after the second, there is no harm, but they have left what is safer.
The questioner:
The hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari, in terms of its meaning, indicates that if the followers say the salam immediately after the imam’s first salam, perhaps this salam, even if it is a later addition, leaves their prayer valid?
The Shaykh:
There is a disagreement among the scholars on this. Some say the first one is sufficient. If we say the first one is sufficient, then yes.
If they say the salam after the first, the prayer is valid. Some scholars hold that two salams are necessary. If one says two salams, he does not conclude the prayer or finish it except with the second salam. Therefore, if he innovates something between the two salams, the prayer is invalid, and he must repeat it. This is the stronger position: that two salams are necessary. He should not rush. They consider the first salam of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to be part of the prayer, and the second to be a recommended practice, not obligatory in their view; rather, the first is sufficient. However, the stronger and more apparent view in the evidence is that both are obligatory, as they are pillars of the prayer. This is because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) preserved them and said, "Pray as you see me praying." May Allah guide them all, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad.
When the imam is leading the Friday prayer, he says the salam to the right and lowers his hand, then to the left and lowers his hand.
The Shaykh:
This person is asking about the case where the followers say the salam with the imam: do they say the first salam with the first one, and the second with the second? The answer is that there is no harm in this; it is valid and does not invalidate the prayer. However, the Sunnah, and what is better and more preferable, is for them to wait until the second salam. They should not rush. When the imam says the first salam, they do not say it until he says the second one. This is based on the soundness of the hadiths and the principle of following the imam. If they say the first salam after the imam’s first, and the second after his second, and the prayer is established, then there is no blame on them. However, they have left what is better, more complete, and safer. They should be deliberate and not rush until the imam finishes. When he says the second salam, they say it. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
And when he says takbir, say takbir, and when
وإذا كبر فكبر وإذاThe questioner:
The hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari, in terms of its meaning, indicates that if the followers say the salam immediately after the imam’s first salam, perhaps this salam, even if it is a later addition, leaves their prayer valid?
The Shaykh:
There is a disagreement among the scholars on this. Some say the first one is sufficient. If we say the first one is sufficient, then yes.
If they say the salam after the first, the prayer is valid. Some scholars hold that two salams are necessary. If one says two salams, he does not conclude the prayer or finish it except with the second salam. Therefore, if he innovates something between the two salams, the prayer is invalid, and he must repeat it. This is the stronger position: that two salams are necessary. He should not rush. They consider the first salam of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to be part of the prayer, and the second to be a recommended practice, not obligatory in their view; rather, the first is sufficient. However, the stronger and more apparent view in the evidence is that both are obligatory, as they are pillars of the prayer. This is because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) preserved them and said, "Pray as you see me praying." May Allah guide them all, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ ابن باز Alsheikh Binbaz»، حكم متابعة الإمام في التسليم - بن باز - مشروع كبار العلماء — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.