Chapter: The imam is only appointed to be followed. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led the people in prayer while sitting during the illness in which he passed away.

The Reciter: Chapter: The imam is only appointed to be followed. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led the people in prayer while sitting during the illness in which he passed away. Ibn Mas'ud said: If one rises before the imam, he should return and remain for the duration of what he had risen, then follow the imam. Al-Hasan said, regarding one who bows with the imam for two units but is unable to prostrate: He should prostrate two prostrations for the last unit, then make up the first unit with its prostration. And regarding one who forgets a prostration until he stands: He should prostrate.

The Shaykh : The chapter "The imam is only appointed to be followed" uses the word "appointed" in a legal sense, because appointment is divided into two types: legal appointment and cosmic, decreed appointment. His saying, Blessed and Exalted is He: This is certainly legal, with no doubt? Certainly, because cosmically, He has appointed that, and we have found the sacrificial camels and cows and others. So this is legal appointment. Cosmic. Cosmic. Most of what is in the Qur'an is cosmic appointment. Here, "the imam is only appointed"—which type of appointment is it? Legal. Meaning, the imam was only legislated to be a true imam who is followed. Following the imam is not realized except by two things: performing the actions after him, and doing so immediately. If one precedes him, he is not following him. If he matches him, he is not following him. If he lags behind him significantly, he is not following him. Following is not realized unless one performs the actions after the imam and immediately. Now, this includes what the author will mention, if Allah wills, in the context of the hadiths. He said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led the people in prayer while sitting during the illness in which he passed away," while the people were standing. It seems he is indicating that this state is an exception, for they did not follow the imam in sitting, but prayed standing. However, the answer to this is that the reason was that Abu Bakr began the prayer with them standing, so once they had started standing, it was necessary for them to complete it standing. For this reason, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led his companions in prayer while sitting, they stood behind him, and he gestured to them to sit. Then, after the prayer, he told them: If the imam prays sitting, then you should pray sitting. And Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "If one rises before the imam, he should return and remain for the duration of what he had risen, then follow the imam" What? Yes, he remains for the duration of what he had risen, then follows the imam. If a person rises before the imam rises, whether because he heard a sound he thought was the imam's, or due to negligence and forgetfulness, or for some other reason, and then sees that the imam is bowing, he should return. Ibn Mas'ud says: "He remains for the duration of what he had risen" Meaning, he does not rise with the imam; he remains after the imam for the duration of what he had risen. It seems (may Allah be pleased with him) considered this remaining as making up for what he missed of the bowing. If we assume, for example, that the imam's bowing is sixty seconds, and the follower stood up when forty seconds had passed, then returned at fifty seconds, how long does he remain after his imam? Ten seconds, making up for what he missed. There is no doubt that Ibn Mas'ud said this out of juristic insight, and he had a share of understanding, for his lagging behind the imam is like making up for what he missed with the imam. But this view is refuted by the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): So we were commanded to perform these pillars immediately after the imam. This is general, so the correct view is that one should not lag behind; whenever the imam rises, one should rise without delay. But if one does not know until after the imam has risen, do we say: Bow?