If the imam doubts in his prayer whether he added or subtracted, does he ask the ma'mum after the prayer?
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The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : What do you say about this issue? The imam doubts whether he added or subtracted, so does he ask the ma'mum after the taslim, "Did we add or subtract?"
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : He is in a state of doubt in his prayer, but he said, "If I make a mistake, please alert me."
The questioner : He does not ask...
The Shaykh : The principle is that they are attentive, and that if he makes a mistake, they will alert him. Moreover, even the ma'mum are subject to the same issues of forgetfulness that affect the imam. Many ma'mum leave the entire matter to the imam; for example, if he prays twenty rak'ahs, they follow him, meaning they give the imam absolute leadership. Therefore, it appears that it is better not to ask.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Even if he is strong [in his certainty], it is better not to ask, because if he asks them, he may also cause them to fall into doubt. Therefore, it appears that it is better not to ask them.
But here is another issue, different from this one: if he acts on his predominant suspicion, and then it becomes clear to him before the taslim that he was correct, is the prostration for forgetfulness obligatory for him?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : There are two opinions among the scholars regarding this: some said it is not obligatory for him, because it became clear to him that there was no forgetfulness, no addition, and no subtraction.
And some said it is obligatory for him, because he performed a part of his prayer while hesitating whether it was an addition or not. Because of this hesitation, he prostrates for forgetfulness to compensate for it. However, this is only if it was not mere imagination, because sometimes a person has a weak spark in his heart, a mere imagination that he added or subtracted, and this is not to be heeded. But if it was a confirmed doubt, and he then acted on the certainty or suspicion he had established, and then it became clear that he was correct, this is a point of disagreement among the scholars.
And some scholars said: there is a distinction between the imam and others. Because if the imam had added or subtracted, the ma'mum would have alerted him. So this suspicion that came to his heart and this hesitation would be in the category of imagination, and it is not to be heeded. This is unlike the case of a person praying alone or as a ma'mum who doubts whether he missed something of the prayer or not.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : If half the time has passed, we stop.
The Shaykh : What do you say about this issue? The imam doubts whether he added or subtracted, so does he ask the ma'mum after the taslim, "Did we add or subtract?"
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : He is in a state of doubt in his prayer, but he said, "If I make a mistake, please alert me."
The questioner : He does not ask...
The Shaykh : The principle is that they are attentive, and that if he makes a mistake, they will alert him. Moreover, even the ma'mum are subject to the same issues of forgetfulness that affect the imam. Many ma'mum leave the entire matter to the imam; for example, if he prays twenty rak'ahs, they follow him, meaning they give the imam absolute leadership. Therefore, it appears that it is better not to ask.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Even if he is strong [in his certainty], it is better not to ask, because if he asks them, he may also cause them to fall into doubt. Therefore, it appears that it is better not to ask them.
But here is another issue, different from this one: if he acts on his predominant suspicion, and then it becomes clear to him before the taslim that he was correct, is the prostration for forgetfulness obligatory for him?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : There are two opinions among the scholars regarding this: some said it is not obligatory for him, because it became clear to him that there was no forgetfulness, no addition, and no subtraction.
And some said it is obligatory for him, because he performed a part of his prayer while hesitating whether it was an addition or not. Because of this hesitation, he prostrates for forgetfulness to compensate for it. However, this is only if it was not mere imagination, because sometimes a person has a weak spark in his heart, a mere imagination that he added or subtracted, and this is not to be heeded. But if it was a confirmed doubt, and he then acted on the certainty or suspicion he had established, and then it became clear that he was correct, this is a point of disagreement among the scholars.
And some scholars said: there is a distinction between the imam and others. Because if the imam had added or subtracted, the ma'mum would have alerted him. So this suspicion that came to his heart and this hesitation would be in the category of imagination, and it is not to be heeded. This is unlike the case of a person praying alone or as a ma'mum who doubts whether he missed something of the prayer or not.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : If half the time has passed, we stop.