An imam recited Surat al-Qadr for the people, and when he reached the prostration of recitation, he bowed, and the followers prostrated; what is the ruling on their prayer?
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The questioner : This question reminds us of your recitation of the prostration in Mada'i.
The Shaykh : May Allah bless it.
The questioner : An imam recited Surat al-Qadr in the loud prayer, and when he reached the prostration, he bowed.
The Shaykh : So they prostrated.
The questioner : So they prostrated.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is right, very well, then.
The questioner : So what is the ruling on the followers' prayer? And what is your opinion of this imam?
The Shaykh : I cannot say anything about this imam; because the Imam al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) "delivered a Friday sermon one day and recited a verse of prostration in it, so he descended and prostrated, and the people prostrated with him. Then in another Friday, he recited the verse of prostration, and the people prepared to prostrate as they had done in the previous Friday; so 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'Indeed, Allah has not made it obligatory upon us except that we do it if we wish, and he did not prostrate for it.' So we took from this authentic report, and the consensus of the Companions, and the announcement of the Commander of the Faithful 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), that the prostration of recitation is not obligatory but rather a recommended practice (sunnah); so his leaving it was an explanation of this legal ruling; that is: it is not obligatory for one who recites the verse of prostration to prostrate for it every time he recites it, but rather it is better to prostrate as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did, but it may be better for some people who are in a position of being an example and people following them, to leave what is a recommended practice of doing, in order to explain the ruling of the Shari'ah. I say: if we know this, then this imam may have not prostrated for that verse for which prostration is prescribed, in order to explain the ruling of the Shari'ah; this is the requirement of having a good opinion of him. As for those who prostrated, if they rectified their mistake and stood up and participated with the imam in his bowing, then their prayer is valid, otherwise they must repeat it.
And this is sufficient, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
The Shaykh : May Allah bless it.
The questioner : An imam recited Surat al-Qadr in the loud prayer, and when he reached the prostration, he bowed.
The Shaykh : So they prostrated.
The questioner : So they prostrated
The Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) laughed.
ضحك الشيخ - رحمه الله -The Shaykh : Yes, that is right, very well, then.
The questioner : So what is the ruling on the followers' prayer? And what is your opinion of this imam?
The Shaykh : I cannot say anything about this imam; because the Imam al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) "delivered a Friday sermon one day and recited a verse of prostration in it, so he descended and prostrated, and the people prostrated with him. Then in another Friday, he recited the verse of prostration, and the people prepared to prostrate as they had done in the previous Friday; so 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'Indeed, Allah has not made it obligatory upon us except that we do it if we wish, and he did not prostrate for it.' So we took from this authentic report, and the consensus of the Companions, and the announcement of the Commander of the Faithful 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), that the prostration of recitation is not obligatory but rather a recommended practice (sunnah); so his leaving it was an explanation of this legal ruling; that is: it is not obligatory for one who recites the verse of prostration to prostrate for it every time he recites it, but rather it is better to prostrate as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did, but it may be better for some people who are in a position of being an example and people following them, to leave what is a recommended practice of doing, in order to explain the ruling of the Shari'ah. I say: if we know this, then this imam may have not prostrated for that verse for which prostration is prescribed, in order to explain the ruling of the Shari'ah; this is the requirement of having a good opinion of him. As for those who prostrated, if they rectified their mistake and stood up and participated with the imam in his bowing, then their prayer is valid, otherwise they must repeat it.
And this is sufficient, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
Source
www.al-albany.com
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