The Obligation of Following the Imam
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In the tarawih prayer, when the imam stands for the witr in the last rak'ah, some people intend to pray it as an even number so that they can pray witr later in the night. Should they sit with the imam for the tashahhud?
No, it is better to follow the imam. If the imam concludes the prayer, he should perform one rak'ah. This is because if he concludes before the imam, he would have left before the imam left, and that would deprive him of the reward of standing in prayer for the night. If the imam prays witr with one rak'ah, he should wait until the imam concludes from it, then stand and perform one rak'ah.
No, it is better to follow the imam. If the imam concludes the prayer, he should perform one rak'ah. This is because if he concludes before the imam, he would have left before the imam left, and that would deprive him of the reward of standing in prayer for the night. If the imam prays witr with one rak'ah, he should wait until the imam concludes from it, then stand and perform one rak'ah.