It is reported that you say it is obligatory to follow the imam in prayer, even if it is in a sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), in everything

The questioner: ... with your statement regarding the obligation of following the imam, even if he leaves a sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and there are some issues that arise against this statement of yours; the most important of them is.

The Shaykh : Read it.

The questioner: The most important of them is: that this statement causes great hardship; for it obliges every worshipper to monitor the manner of the imam's prayer so that they may be able to follow him, otherwise your statement regarding the obligation of following the imam in the detail attributed to you would have no meaning... And as the Shaykh (may Allah preserve him) said, imams differ in their prayers according to their differences in schools of jurisprudence, and obliging the worshippers with this ruling requires them to observe the description of the imam's prayer, and hardship, as you know, is lifted from this community; and because this is a matter that is widespread among people. Then, no one of the preceding imams or the precise scholars has said this statement; rather, this issue is almost absent from the books of jurisprudence. So we ask the honorable Shaykh to answer the aforementioned issues with some detail; because the occasion warrants it, and may Allah guide you and correct your steps?

The Shaykh: The question is not applicable to me from its origin; because it is my opinion and then an error. I did not say, and I will not say, even in a dream, that it is obligatory for me, I who say this opinion or part of it, that we monitor the imams. I do not say this.

Another questioner: There is an issue with our Shaykh.

The Shaykh : Yes?

Another questioner: He does not say that this is your opinion, but he says this commentator is commenting on your opinion?

The Shaykh: No; the issue is based on this understanding.

Another questioner: Yes, of course, correct.

The Shaykh: All right.

Another questioner: I mean... but the text of the question is not like this?

The Shaykh: It is like this, the question, let us listen to the recording... No, no, before, before.
My statement that you quoted does not necessitate that claimed hardship; for every worshipper, when he prays in a mosque, is in one of two states: either he knows this imam, for example, whether he places his hands on the navel or below the navel, or he knows nothing of that. If he knows, he acts as the imam acts, in order to realize the principle: . This is not a statement or an opinion of mine; rather, it is the text of the Messenger (peace be upon him). And if he does not know, he acts according to the sunnah that he knows. So what is the issue in this, and what is the obligation? This is one thing.
And a second thing: in the first scenario, he entered the mosque knowing that the imam, for example, places his hand below the navel, he knows this, but he forgot, and his habit of following the sunnah and praying according to the sunnah overcame him, so he prays like this. But if he remembers, he returns and follows the text that commands following the imam and not differing from him. There is no hardship in the case that can be agreed upon to contradict the original principle for which the explicit text and the command came in the authentic hadiths, and I mentioned some of them earlier. So there is no obligation; rather, the issue should be examined as a rule: is it correct in terms of its evidence? Or is it on the brink of a collapsing cliff? Because there is no evidence that obliges the one who is accountable to adopt it? As for the obligation, it is not applicable from its origin. I think it is now clear to you that everything that came after the word "obligation" is that we are not obligated by it and to answer it; because as it was said: Does the shadow stand straight while the stick is bent?!
Do you have anything now after it has become clear to you that there is no obligation? Either you know or you do not know, either you remember or you do not remember; no hardship and no obligation!

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : ... .

The questioner: ... in much of his prayer.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner: Most of the prayer, they differ in this sunnah.

The Shaykh: And they have it too.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh: This is a wrong question? This is a wrong question.

The questioner: They do not know the sunnah, they are not people of the Sunnah.

The Shaykh: No; starting from here is wrong; you must study the issue from its origin; meaning, is the follower obligated to follow the imam? Of course, the answer will be: Yes.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh: Okay; whether he errs or he is correct; now, everything about the issue narrows on you, so be careful; whether he is correct or he errs, or only in what he is correct, he is not followed in what he errs?

The questioner: In what he is correct or he errs?

The Shaykh: Yes, that's it, you are with us now [The Shaykh laughs!]; why do you follow him in what he errs?

The questioner: Because I am a follower of the imam!

The Shaykh: But if he errs?
Comfort is, as is not hidden from you, in submitting to the rulings of the Shari'ah and not responding to traditions; they may be traditions whose characteristic is following, but whose reality is religious innovation. You said that no one of the scholars, I mean, said this opinion; the truth is, I say: that no one of the scholars said: from the disliked times in which prayer is disliked is the prayer of voluntary prayers and the preacher is preaching. No one said this statement, but Al-Albani says it; but when he says this, he does not contradict them, and this is one of the wonders; why? Because he said it despite their difference, of course, between the Hanafis and the Shafi'is; so the Hanafis say: when the preacher ascends the pulpit, there is no prayer and no speech, but the Shafi'is say: when he enters the mosque, he must pray two rak'ahs as the greeting of the mosque. So we say according to the Hanafis to some extent; those who say there is no prayer, but... this is in the disliked times, the disliked times are three according to some, and five according to others, ... a detail of some of the times from the three, but no one said: six, but I say: six, but when I say this, I contradict them in style, but I do not contradict them in belief and thought.
Now, regarding the hadith: there is often a disagreement now, the imam stood up to the fifth rak'ah in the four-rak'ah prayer, he forgot the tashahhud, they said to him: Glory be to Allah! Some returned and some did not return, and some... will not return, excuse me... here is the scenario... of the middle tashahhud, some people say: that if he stands up from the second prostration... .