The Shaykh’s remarks on the actions of the ma'mum while the imam recites in the prayers where recitation is loud.

The questioner : Imam Ahmad, the imam of the people of the Sunnah, states the following detail: reciting behind the imam in the prayers where recitation is silent is not the same as reciting behind the imam in the prayers where recitation is loud. The role of the ma'mum behind the imam when he recites loudly in the first two rak'ahs of the loud prayers, such as 'Isha', Maghrib, and Fajr, is that since the ma'mum hears the imam's recitation, it is not permissible for him to occupy himself with reciting for himself instead of listening to the imam's recitation. This is because completing the following of the imam in this case—meaning when the imam recites loudly and the ma'mum listens to this recitation—includes silence and attentiveness. This is part of the completion of the statement of Allah the Exalted: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) confirmed the generality of this verse in this case by saying: The meaning of attentiveness implies that you are hearing something. If I were silent, it would not be permissible for me to say, "Listen," because someone would ask: Why should we listen? We might be remembering Allah or sending blessings upon the Messenger of Allah. But when you hear the recitation, here comes the divine command: There are two commands. The first command is listening, which is being attentive to what is recited to you from the Qur'an. The second command is silence. According to this third school of thought, which is the school of Malik and Ahmad, it is not permissible for the ma'mum to recite anything. The secret of this, in the end, is included in his statement (peace be upon him): Whoever has an imam, the recitation of the imam in the loud prayers, when you hear his recitation, is a recitation on your behalf. If you know these three statements and know the viewpoint of the two imams, Malik and Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on them both), then this school is the middle school, as Allah the Exalted said: You do not hear the recitation of the imam, and that is in the loud prayers, or in another case where the imam's voice may be faint, or the ma'mum's hearing may be weak, such that in the end he does not hear the imam's recitation. In that case, he recites loudly. But if you are hearing the imam's recitation, your hearing suffices you from your own recitation. Your hearing of the imam suffices you from your own recitation. Why? Because your attentiveness to the imam's recitation is more beneficial for you than your reciting for yourself. Therefore, it was narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said one day—these are two hadiths and two stories, one concerning Ubayy ibn Ka'b and the other concerning 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with them both). He said to him (peace be upon him): He said: O Messenger of Allah, shall I recite the Qur'an to you, and it was revealed to you? He said: Yes, I love to hear it from someone other than myself. This is the Messenger of Allah to whom the Qur'an was revealed, saying to one of the Companions: Recite the Qur'an to me. He said: Shall I recite to you, and it was revealed to you? He said: So, your hearing, O ma'mum, of the imam's recitation is more beneficial for you than your reciting for yourself. This is the summary of what can be said regarding this specific issue: three schools of thought, the middle of which is the most just and the most correct, and it is: recite in the silent prayers, and listen and be attentive in the loud prayers. This is sufficient.