When the mu'adhdhin called the iqamah for prayer and did not find the imam present, the mu'adhdhin entered the qiblah, said the takbirat al-ihram, and the worshippers behind him said it with him, and they began.
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The questioner : When the mu'adhdhin called the iqamah for prayer and did not find the imam present, the mu'adhdhin entered the qiblah, said the takbirat al-ihram, and the worshippers behind him said it with him, and they began supplicating before the recitation of al-Fatihah. Then the imam entered, pulled the mu'adhdhin from the qiblah, took his place, and said the takbirat al-ihram again. At that point, some of the worshippers said the takbir again with the imam, while others did not say it and continued with the first takbir they had said with the mu'adhdhin. The question is: To what extent is it permissible for the imam to pull someone away and for another person to take over the imamah, as happened in this case?
The Shaykh : We say first that the mu'adhdhin should not rush to call the iqamah for prayer, even if the appointed time has passed. He should wait for five minutes or so until the imam arrives, unless the imam has told him, "When the time for iqamah comes, call the prayer." In that case, he is excused. But if the imam has not told him that, he should be patient and wait for five minutes or so, because this kind of delay often happens to the imam, especially if his home is far from the mosque. Someone might stop him to ask him a question, or someone might need his help with a matter, causing him to be delayed in this way. This is the first point. Second: If the imam enters after the iqamah has been called, he should not step forward to displace the person who has already stepped forward, because, praise be to Allah, the matter is broad and easy. But some imams get angry when they see that people have already started the prayer, and they want to show that the matter is up to them, so they displace the person who stepped forward. This is his right; there is no doubt that it is permissible for him to step forward and displace whoever preceded him, provided that he was not previously given permission to pray when the time for iqamah came. However, if the imam insists on stepping forward, he should step forward and say the takbirat al-ihram for himself. As for the worshippers, they do not say the takbirat al-ihram because they have already said it.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : We say first that the mu'adhdhin should not rush to call the iqamah for prayer, even if the appointed time has passed. He should wait for five minutes or so until the imam arrives, unless the imam has told him, "When the time for iqamah comes, call the prayer." In that case, he is excused. But if the imam has not told him that, he should be patient and wait for five minutes or so, because this kind of delay often happens to the imam, especially if his home is far from the mosque. Someone might stop him to ask him a question, or someone might need his help with a matter, causing him to be delayed in this way. This is the first point. Second: If the imam enters after the iqamah has been called, he should not step forward to displace the person who has already stepped forward, because, praise be to Allah, the matter is broad and easy. But some imams get angry when they see that people have already started the prayer, and they want to show that the matter is up to them, so they displace the person who stepped forward. This is his right; there is no doubt that it is permissible for him to step forward and displace whoever preceded him, provided that he was not previously given permission to pray when the time for iqamah came. However, if the imam insists on stepping forward, he should step forward and say the takbirat al-ihram for himself. As for the worshippers, they do not say the takbirat al-ihram because they have already said it.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.