An imam recited Surat al-Iqra' for the people, and when he reached the prostration of recitation, he bowed, and the followers prostrated. What is the ruling on their prayer?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : This question reminds us of your reading of the prostration once in ... .
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : An imam recited in the loud prayer from Surat al-Iqra', and when he reached the prostration, he bowed.
The Shaykh : So they prostrated.
The questioner : So they prostrated.
.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is fine, 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 except what the Imam al-Bukhari narrated in his "Sahih" that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) "gave a Friday sermon one day and recited in it the verse of prostration, 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: 'Allah has not made it obligatory upon us except that we do it if we wish, and he did not prostrate for it.'" We derived 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 it is a recommended practice (sunnah). So his leaving it was an explanation of this legal ruling, meaning that 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. However, it may be better for some people who are in a position of being role models and followed by people to leave what is a recommended practice 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 : ... .
The questioner : An imam recited in the loud prayer from Surat al-Iqra', 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 اللهThe Shaykh : Yes, that is fine, 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 except what the Imam al-Bukhari narrated in his "Sahih" that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) "gave a Friday sermon one day and recited in it the verse of prostration, 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: 'Allah has not made it obligatory upon us except that we do it if we wish, and he did not prostrate for it.'" We derived 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 it is a recommended practice (sunnah). So his leaving it was an explanation of this legal ruling, meaning that 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. However, it may be better for some people who are in a position of being role models and followed by people to leave what is a recommended practice 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.