What is the ruling on following the imam in every taslim?
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The questioner:
When the imam combines prayers, he says the taslim to the right, and the rest follow him, then to the left, as you see.
The Shaykh:
This is a question about what happens if the ma'mum say the taslim with the imam: they say the first taslim with his first, and the second with his second. The answer is that there is nothing wrong with this; it is valid and does not cause harm. However, the sunnah, and what is better and more preferable, is for them to wait until the second taslim. They should not rush. If the imam says the first taslim, they should not say it until he says the second. This is based on the weak hadiths, and also from the perspective of following the imam. As for if he says the first taslim and then the third, and the prayer is valid, it is not permissible to say there is no hardship or sin on him, but he has left what is better, more complete, and safer. What they should do is be deliberate and not rush until the imam says the taslim at that moment.
So when he says the second taslim, they say it. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Ibn Majah 960Sahih (Darussalam) When he bows, bow, and when he says the taslim, bow, then say the taslim, meaning they should be deliberate until he says the second taslim. This is the safest and most complete course of action. And if they say the first after the first, and the second after the second, there is no harm, but they have left what is originally the safest.
The questioner:
The hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari, in terms of its meaning, indicates that if the believers say the taslim after the imam immediately after the first taslim, perhaps this taslim, even if something new occurs, their prayer remains valid.
The Shaykh:
This is a matter of scholarly disagreement. The majority say that the first taslim is sufficient; the first taslim suffices, and if something happens after it, the prayer is valid. Some hold that two taslims are necessary, emphasizing that one says two taslims, so one does not conclude the prayer or finish it except with the second taslim. According to this view, if something new occurs between the two taslims, the prayer is invalid, and he must repeat it. This is the stronger position. The stronger position is that two taslims are necessary. He should not rush. They are pleased to see that if he says the first, it is sufficient, and the second is a sunnah, not obligatory in their view; the first suffices. But the stronger and more apparent view in the evidence is that both are obligatory, as they are pillars of the prayer, 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 blessings and peace upon him, his family, and his Companions.
When the imam combines prayers, he says the taslim to the right, and the rest follow him, then to the left, as you see.
The Shaykh:
This is a question about what happens if the ma'mum say the taslim with the imam: they say the first taslim with his first, and the second with his second. The answer is that there is nothing wrong with this; it is valid and does not cause harm. However, the sunnah, and what is better and more preferable, is for them to wait until the second taslim. They should not rush. If the imam says the first taslim, they should not say it until he says the second. This is based on the weak hadiths, and also from the perspective of following the imam. As for if he says the first taslim and then the third, and the prayer is valid, it is not permissible to say there is no hardship or sin on him, but he has left what is better, more complete, and safer. What they should do is be deliberate and not rush until the imam says the taslim at that moment.
So when he says the second taslim, they say it. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
when he says the Takbir then say the Takbir, and
وإذا كبر فكبروا، وإذاThe questioner:
The hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari, in terms of its meaning, indicates that if the believers say the taslim after the imam immediately after the first taslim, perhaps this taslim, even if something new occurs, their prayer remains valid.
The Shaykh:
This is a matter of scholarly disagreement. The majority say that the first taslim is sufficient; the first taslim suffices, and if something happens after it, the prayer is valid. Some hold that two taslims are necessary, emphasizing that one says two taslims, so one does not conclude the prayer or finish it except with the second taslim. According to this view, if something new occurs between the two taslims, the prayer is invalid, and he must repeat it. This is the stronger position. The stronger position is that two taslims are necessary. He should not rush. They are pleased to see that if he says the first, it is sufficient, and the second is a sunnah, not obligatory in their view; the first suffices. But the stronger and more apparent view in the evidence is that both are obligatory, as they are pillars of the prayer, 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 blessings and peace upon him, his family, and his Companions.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ ابن باز Alsheikh Binbaz»، 005 ما حكم متابعة الإمام في كل تسليمة؟ للإمام ابن باز — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.