What is the ruling on the follower following the imam in prayer?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : This question is about following the imam. He asks whether the text regarding following is general, or whether it is general in form but specific in meaning? And the jurisprudential criterion between them
The Shaykh : What is following?
The questioner : Following the imam in bowing and prostrating
The Shaykh : The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explained what constitutes following, and he said: This is following, meaning that you do not precede him, you do not coincide with him, and you do not lag behind him significantly, because the states of the follower in relation to the imam are four: preceding, coinciding, differing—meaning lagging, I mean lagging—and following.
How many states are there? Four. Count them for him, brother. Yes, that is right.
The student: Preceding
The Shaykh : Yes
The student: Following
The Shaykh : Yes
The student: Coinciding and differing
The Shaykh : Good, well done.
Preceding means that the follower does something before the imam. If this is intentional, his prayer is invalid, because if he intentionally bows before his imam bows, his prayer is invalid. He must restart it from the beginning, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Abi Dawud 603Sahih (Al-Albani) If he bows before him, he has done what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade, so his prayer is invalid.
Coinciding: Some of it invalidates the prayer, and some does not. According to what the scholars say: If he coincides with the imam in the opening takbir by starting the opening takbir before the imam has finished it, his prayer is not established. He must repeat it. As for coinciding in other matters, such as bowing with the bowing of his imam, that does not invalidate the prayer, but it is disliked. So coinciding has a detailed ruling: If it is in the opening takbir, the prayer is... you... - sleep has overtaken you, may Allah bless you - What is the prayer...
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, well done. I mean, if the follower says the takbir for the opening before the imam has finished, we say that his prayer is not established and he must repeat it.
If he bows with the bowing of the imam, he has done something disliked, but the prayer is not invalidated. So there is a detailed distinction between the pillars according to the words of the scholars in this matter.
Lagging: This means, for example, the imam stands up while the follower is prostrating. He says: I like to increase in supplication, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So he says that he lags behind to increase in supplication. We say this is contrary to the Sunnah, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): The particle "fa" (then) indicates immediate succession. So lagging is contrary to the Sunnah.
Here is a question: Some imams say the takbir and finish their takbir before reaching the pillar, such as when the imam prostrates, he says "Allahu Akbar" for prostration and finishes the prostration before reaching the ground. Does the person prostrate when the takbir ends, or when the imam reaches the ground?
Answer. The second or the first? Does the follower prostrate when the imam's takbir ends and he has not reached the ground, or when he reaches the ground? When he reaches the ground. This is a matter that is hidden from some people. We see them watching the imam from the moment the takbir ends, and even if the imam is in the middle, they prostrate. This is contrary to the Sunnah.
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prostrated, none of them bent their backs until the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prostrated, then they prostrated after him. Yes, if a person is far away and does not know about the imam, what is considered? The voice, because this is the limit of his ability. The questions have ended.
The questioner : No, it is not present.
The Shaykh : Very well.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : What is following?
The questioner : Following the imam in bowing and prostrating
The Shaykh : The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explained what constitutes following, and he said:
The imam was made to be followed, so do not differ with him. When he says the takbir, say the takbir. When he bows, bow. When he prostrates, prostrate. When he prays sitting, pray sitting. When he prays standing, pray standing.
إنما جعل الإمام ليؤتم به فلا تختلفوا عليه فإذا كبر فكبروا وإذا ركع فاركعوا وإذا فاسجدوا وإذا صلى قاعدا فصلوا قعودا وإذا صلى قائما فصلوا قياماHow many states are there? Four. Count them for him, brother. Yes, that is right.
The student: Preceding
The Shaykh : Yes
The student: Following
The Shaykh : Yes
The student: Coinciding and differing
The Shaykh : Good, well done.
Preceding means that the follower does something before the imam. If this is intentional, his prayer is invalid, because if he intentionally bows before his imam bows, his prayer is invalid. He must restart it from the beginning, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
and do not bow until he bows
ولا تركعوا حتى يركعCoinciding: Some of it invalidates the prayer, and some does not. According to what the scholars say: If he coincides with the imam in the opening takbir by starting the opening takbir before the imam has finished it, his prayer is not established. He must repeat it. As for coinciding in other matters, such as bowing with the bowing of his imam, that does not invalidate the prayer, but it is disliked. So coinciding has a detailed ruling: If it is in the opening takbir, the prayer is... you... - sleep has overtaken you, may Allah bless you - What is the prayer...
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, well done. I mean, if the follower says the takbir for the opening before the imam has finished, we say that his prayer is not established and he must repeat it.
If he bows with the bowing of the imam, he has done something disliked, but the prayer is not invalidated. So there is a detailed distinction between the pillars according to the words of the scholars in this matter.
Lagging: This means, for example, the imam stands up while the follower is prostrating. He says: I like to increase in supplication, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
As for prostration, increase in supplication in it.
وأما السجود فأكثر فيه من الدعاءWhen he bows, bow. When he says the takbir, say the takbir.
إذا ركع فاركعوا إذا كبر فكبرواHere is a question: Some imams say the takbir and finish their takbir before reaching the pillar, such as when the imam prostrates, he says "Allahu Akbar" for prostration and finishes the prostration before reaching the ground. Does the person prostrate when the takbir ends, or when the imam reaches the ground?
Answer. The second or the first? Does the follower prostrate when the imam's takbir ends and he has not reached the ground, or when he reaches the ground? When he reaches the ground. This is a matter that is hidden from some people. We see them watching the imam from the moment the takbir ends, and even if the imam is in the middle, they prostrate. This is contrary to the Sunnah.
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prostrated, none of them bent their backs until the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prostrated, then they prostrated after him. Yes, if a person is far away and does not know about the imam, what is considered? The voice, because this is the limit of his ability. The questions have ended.
The questioner : No, it is not present.
The Shaykh : Very well.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.