If the imam says, "Allah hears the one who praises Him," is it obligatory for the ma'mum to say, "Allah hears the one who praises Him," or "Our Lord, to You belongs all praise"?

The questioner : If the imam says, "Allah hears the one who praises Him," is it obligatory for the ma'mum to say, "Allah hears the one who praises Him," or "Our Lord, to You belongs all praise"?

The Shaykh : It is obligatory to combine both, just as the imam combines them and just as the one praying alone combines them. There is no difference between the imam, the one following, and the one praying alone.

The questioner : All of them say, "Allah hears the one who praises Him, our Lord, to You belongs all praise."

The Shaykh : Because here is a matter that the masses have long been negligent about—and peace be upon you—which is that the recitation of "Allah hears the one who praises Him" has its specific place, and the recitation of praise has its specific place. So when the worshipper says, "Allah hears the one who praises Him," he does not say it while bowing or while standing, but rather between the bowing and the standing, meaning it is said during the transition. He is bowing and as he rises, he says, "Allah hears the one who praises Him," and as he is standing, he says, "Our Lord, to You belongs all praise." This is how the imam does it, this is how the follower does it, and this is how the one praying alone does it. As for the masses of followers today, they all say, "Our Lord, to You belongs all praise." First, they placed the recitation in the wrong place, and they neglected the recitation that they should have placed in its proper place.

The questioner : Shaykh, when he says...

The Shaykh : And in this way, the sunnahs are extinguished and the innovations are revived.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh: Yes.