Explanation of the Book of the Adhan-08b
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The reciter: Abu al-Walid narrated to us, saying: Shu'bah narrated to us from Sa'd ibn Ibrahim from Abu Salama ibn 'Abd al-Rahman from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed the midday prayer in two rak'ahs. It was said to him, "Did you pray only two rak'ahs?" So he prayed two more rak'ahs, then said the closing salam, and then prostrated twice.
The Shaykh : His statement (may Allah have mercy on him): "Does the imam follow the people's statement when he is in doubt?" This is a question of inquiry, meaning: does he follow it or not? The answer is that he follows the people's statement when he is in doubt. The evidence for this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) followed the people's statement while he was in doubt about the matter, even while he believed that he had not forgotten and that the prayer had not been shortened. If someone asks, "And if he follows the people's statement, is one person sufficient, since it is a report concerning a religious matter, or are two required?" There is scholarly disagreement on this. Some say two are required, while others say one is sufficient. The stronger position is that one is sufficient. The remaining issue is: if you say one is sufficient, what is the benefit of the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) asking the people about the statement of the man with two hands? The answer is that two beliefs conflicted in the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) mind: his own belief that he had not forgotten, and the belief of the man with two hands that he had forgotten. So he sought to be certain and said: However, if there is no need to seek certainty, then one person is sufficient. This is the stronger position in this issue. Yes. If someone asks, "Does a person follow the action of another, rather than his statement? For example, if two men enter the prayer during its progress and one of them forgets how many rak'ahs he has prayed, and he follows the one who entered with him, is this permissible or not?" The answer is yes, it is permissible, provided he does not have a suspicion that contradicts this man. This is also something that happens frequently, meaning that some people become distracted and follow the action of the person next to them who entered the prayer with them. Yes.
The Shaykh : His statement (may Allah have mercy on him): "Does the imam follow the people's statement when he is in doubt?" This is a question of inquiry, meaning: does he follow it or not? The answer is that he follows the people's statement when he is in doubt. The evidence for this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) followed the people's statement while he was in doubt about the matter, even while he believed that he had not forgotten and that the prayer had not been shortened. If someone asks, "And if he follows the people's statement, is one person sufficient, since it is a report concerning a religious matter, or are two required?" There is scholarly disagreement on this. Some say two are required, while others say one is sufficient. The stronger position is that one is sufficient. The remaining issue is: if you say one is sufficient, what is the benefit of the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) asking the people about the statement of the man with two hands? The answer is that two beliefs conflicted in the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) mind: his own belief that he had not forgotten, and the belief of the man with two hands that he had forgotten. So he sought to be certain and said: