If the followers pray before the imam, are they not considered separated from him?
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The Shaykh : What did the person who asked this question say?
The questioner : If they are in front of the imam, are they not considered separated from the imam?
The Shaykh : Separated.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : I gave you the previous example, did you understand it?
The questioner : But they see him, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : They see him? Do they see the imam, or do they see the people behind the imam?
The Shaykh : So the issue takes on another aspect. We may reach with you the conclusion that it is not permissible, or you may reach with us the conclusion that it is permissible.
The questioner : This question?
The Shaykh : His question was about those who advance in prayer in front of the imam. I think that is how it was, is it not?
Another questioner : How do they see the imam and those behind him when they are in front?
The Shaykh : No, no. He says that because they do not see the imam, he wants to base the invalidity of their prayer on that. So I say that seeing the imam, I do not believe, is a condition for the validity of the prayer. Rather, the condition is knowing the imam’s movements and knowing these movements. We can imagine that we can know the imam’s movements without seeing the imam. I think you all can imagine this picture with me, is it not? And we give an example of this in the Prophet’s Mosque. For example, if the row extends to the courtyard of the Gate of Peace, to under the canopies, those who pray outside the Prophet’s Mosque do not see the imam and do not know his movements. But because the row is connected—the row in the courtyard of the Gate of Peace is connected with the rows inside the mosque—the people outside the mosque in their row know the imam’s movements by the transmission of the good influence from the inside to the outside, is it not? Okay, so now we return to the original issue. If the place is the place for prayer, and those who are praying are in front of the imam, and they do not miss the imam’s movements, then at that time, if they follow the imam in his pillars, or the pillars of his prayer, the prayer is valid, as I said earlier. But on the other hand, they are sinful because of their advancing in front of the imam and not following the row behind the imam. This is my opinion in this issue, and Allah knows best.
The questioner : If they are in front of the imam, are they not considered separated from the imam?
The Shaykh : Separated.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : I gave you the previous example, did you understand it?
The questioner : But they see him, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : They see him? Do they see the imam, or do they see the people behind the imam?
The Shaykh : So the issue takes on another aspect. We may reach with you the conclusion that it is not permissible, or you may reach with us the conclusion that it is permissible.
The questioner : This question?
The Shaykh : His question was about those who advance in prayer in front of the imam. I think that is how it was, is it not?
Another questioner : How do they see the imam and those behind him when they are in front?
The Shaykh : No, no. He says that because they do not see the imam, he wants to base the invalidity of their prayer on that. So I say that seeing the imam, I do not believe, is a condition for the validity of the prayer. Rather, the condition is knowing the imam’s movements and knowing these movements. We can imagine that we can know the imam’s movements without seeing the imam. I think you all can imagine this picture with me, is it not? And we give an example of this in the Prophet’s Mosque. For example, if the row extends to the courtyard of the Gate of Peace, to under the canopies, those who pray outside the Prophet’s Mosque do not see the imam and do not know his movements. But because the row is connected—the row in the courtyard of the Gate of Peace is connected with the rows inside the mosque—the people outside the mosque in their row know the imam’s movements by the transmission of the good influence from the inside to the outside, is it not? Okay, so now we return to the original issue. If the place is the place for prayer, and those who are praying are in front of the imam, and they do not miss the imam’s movements, then at that time, if they follow the imam in his pillars, or the pillars of his prayer, the prayer is valid, as I said earlier. But on the other hand, they are sinful because of their advancing in front of the imam and not following the row behind the imam. This is my opinion in this issue, and Allah knows best.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.