A man led the people in the Maghrib prayer for two rak'ahs, then said the taslim. When he remembered, he repeated the prayer, and some of the ma'mum thought he would complete it. What should they do?

The questioner : All right, my dear brother, an incident occurred in our mosque, called Al-Noor Mosque in Toronto. Some of the brothers were praying behind an imam from Pakistan—I think, and Allah knows best—in the Maghrib prayer. He prayed two rak'ahs, then sat for the middle tashahhud and said the taslim; he forgot. The brothers said, "Subhan Allah," and the imam did not know what to do. One of the worshippers said to him in their language, meaning, "Repeat the prayer." Those who had sat down and not said the taslim, so the imam stood up. They thought the imam had stood up to perform the third rak'ah and then prostrate for sujud al-sahw.

The Shaykh : So they followed him.

The questioner : So they followed him, and lo, he began a new prayer. What should they do? They called and asked, but we did not know the true answer. What should they do?

The Shaykh : It is not an hour by hour. If they had knowledge, or if they remembered at the time of the hour, they should follow him for one rak'ah. When he stands for the second rak'ah, considering that he is repeating it, they should intend to separate from him.

The questioner : Do they say the taslim or sit down?

The Shaykh : No, no, separation is an intention. They sit down and recite the tashahhud, so they have prayed three rak'ahs: two with the forgetful imam who said the taslim, and the third with the same imam who repeated the obligatory prayer, which is also an error, and Allah has written for them the complete prayer.

The questioner : Do they say the taslim or wait for the imam until he finishes the prayer?

The Shaykh : No, they do not wait.

The questioner : Do they say the taslim?

The Shaykh : They intend to separate. The meaning of intending to separate is: they leave the imam to his own business, and they complete their prayer.

The questioner : Do they perform the third rak'ah on their own?

The Shaykh : Yes, no, not the third rak'ah, the second tashahhud. Did you not say, may Allah reward you?

The questioner : After the second tashahhud.

The Shaykh : No, no, after the second tashahhud, it has not come yet. You said—may Allah reward you—that this imam stood up and resumed the prayer, so some of the people stood up and followed him, correct?

The questioner : I said that the imam prayed the first two rak'ahs and then said the taslim.

The Shaykh : I know.

The questioner : So they told him to repeat it, so he stood up to repeat it.

The Shaykh : Yes, he stood up to repeat it. All right, those who had said the taslim with the imam followed him, thinking that he was going to bring the third rak'ah.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : All right, so I am saying: This imam, when he prostrated the second prostration of the first rak'ah in the second obligatory prayer he prayed, he needs to stand up for where? For the second rak'ah. I say that the people who were behind him and thought he was going to bring the third rak'ah, when they see the imam stand up for the second rak'ah, here they sit down and intend to separate, and they complete the tashahhud and say the taslim.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh: Is it clear?

The questioner : Clear.
Abu Layla : Our Shaykh, regarding the imam who is being followed, where is his position?

The Shaykh : His position is in the prayer that will be a valid prayer by consensus, whereas this one is not valid.
Abu Layla : With the imam, our Shaykh, or as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did in the hadith of Dhu al-Yadayn?

The Shaykh : Of course, if they were scholars, but this is permissible for the imam, meaning.

The questioner : All right, my dear brother, the issue is: a ma'mum came who was masbuq, and the imam had made a mistake in the rak'ahs or the rak'ah in which the ma'mum was masbuq.

The Shaykh : He must follow him.

The questioner : He must follow him, but the imam's prostration for sujud al-sahw was after the taslim, not before the taslim.

The Shaykh : He should follow him.

The questioner : Does the masbuq ma'mum say the taslim with the imam, then prostrate for sujud al-sahw, and then come with what he missed of the prayer?

The Shaykh : He must follow him.

The questioner : Does he say the taslim after the imam finishes his prayer? Does he say the taslim with the imam?

The Shaykh : He must follow the imam, my brother. Now, you are not saying you are masbuq; you entered with the imam at the beginning of the prayer. He said the taslim and prostrated for sujud al-sahw, is that not so?

The questioner : I say the taslim and prostrate for sujud al-sahw.

The Shaykh: Okay

The questioner : But I am masbuq by one rak'ah.

The Shaykh : I understood. I am telling you, the masbuq does as the one who caught the prayer at its beginning does, meaning he is following the imam.

The questioner : Will he say the taslim with the imam while he is masbuq?

The Shaykh : Of course.

The questioner : He does not bring the rest for him.

The Shaykh : He does not need to prostrate for the imam's sujud al-sahw; he must follow him.

The questioner : He may not know that he made a mistake.

The Shaykh : Now you said he may not know. This came a little late. And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. The important thing is: did the imam's prayer complete when he said the taslim?

The questioner : The imam?

The Shaykh : Ah

The questioner : It did not complete, because he owes sujud al-sahw.

The Shaykh : That is it, and this is my observation. So this masbuq must follow the imam until his prayer is completed, after which he comes with the missed part. I will give you another picture. You may know it or not? The imam may have brought a fifth rak'ah, which is for this masbuq his fourth.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : All right, what does he do? The same answer: he follows him.

The questioner : Does the ma'mum need to bring a fourth rak'ah, or is the fourth rak'ah dropped for him?

The Shaykh : I told you, he follows him. He must bring the missed rak'ah. He is not masbuq; a rak'ah was missed for him.

The questioner : Meaning he must bring the rak'ah that was missed.
Abu Layla: Meaning, our Shaykh, now for example, the imam prayed a fifth, and I, for example, prayed four. So just as the imam prayed, I want to pray. Meaning, he prayed a fifth after he said the taslim and prostrated for sujud al-sahw, and I start to bring one, my fifth. Meaning, I am not considered to have come except with the fourth, and I followed the imam for the fifth.

The Shaykh : And why did you call it the fifth?
Abu Layla: In the example, like this.

The Shaykh : Not in the example.
Abu Layla: Meaning, for example, the imam.

The Shaykh : How many rak'ahs did the masbuq ma'mum who is being followed pray? How many rak'ahs did he pray legally? Three or four?
Abu Layla: Four.

The Shaykh : No
Abu Layla: All right, three, my Shaykh.

The Shaykh : No, not for my sake, but think so that you know whether to say three or four. As long as the picture is that this imam, when he brought the fifth rak'ah, this is extra. Extra or not?
Abu Layla: Of course, extra.

The Shaykh : All right, regarding the masbuq, is it extra or not?
Abu Layla: No.

The Shaykh : Yes, because he is following the imam, not because a rak'ah was missed for him. For him, he prayed four rak'ahs with this imam, but the fourth rak'ah for him is not legal, because this is a mistake by the imam. So he must bring the missed rak'ah, unlike the others.

The questioner : I hope I have not been too long, my dear brother.

The Shaykh : Lengthening has good in it.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, because in truth, I may travel on Monday.

The Shaykh : In any case, you have not burdened us. May Allah reward you with good, that we raise our voices like we do with Algeria—laughs.