What is the ruling on the imam reciting a surah or verses containing a prostration in the Zuhr or 'Asr prayer?
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The questioner : What is the ruling on the imam reciting a surah or verses containing a prostration in the Zuhr or 'Asr prayer? I ask you to provide information.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them in excellence until the Day of Judgment. The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them), and I mean the later Hanbali jurists, mentioned that it is disliked for the imam to recite a verse of prostration in the secret prayers. This is because if he recites it in the secret prayers, he either prostrates, which causes confusion for the worshippers, or he leaves off the prostration, which would be leaving a confirmed recommended practice. For this reason, they said it is disliked to recite a verse of prostration in the secret prayers and to prostrate in them, so they disliked both matters. However, the dislike requires evidence. Therefore, the second opinion is that it is not disliked for the imam to recite a verse of prostration in the secret prayers. This is because he either prostrates or he does not. If he does not prostrate, there is no sin on him, no blame on him, and no dislike in that. This is because it is established from the Commander of the Faithful, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), that he recited a verse of prostration in the Friday sermon, so he descended and prostrated. Then he recited it in the second Friday sermon and did not prostrate. Then he said: "Allah has not obligated prostration upon us except that we wish to do it". Based on this, if the imam recites a verse of prostration in the secret prayers and does not prostrate, there is no sin on him, because Allah has not obligated it upon us. Then, if he prostrates, it does not cause confusion for the followers if the followers are few and can see him when he prostrates, because they will prostrate with him, especially if they are students of knowledge and it occurs to them that the imam recited a verse of prostration. But if they are many and cannot see him, or if they are not students of knowledge and they think he is forgetting and prostrates, then confusion occurs here, and we tell him not to prostrate. Yes.
The questioner : Very well. May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them in excellence until the Day of Judgment. The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them), and I mean the later Hanbali jurists, mentioned that it is disliked for the imam to recite a verse of prostration in the secret prayers. This is because if he recites it in the secret prayers, he either prostrates, which causes confusion for the worshippers, or he leaves off the prostration, which would be leaving a confirmed recommended practice. For this reason, they said it is disliked to recite a verse of prostration in the secret prayers and to prostrate in them, so they disliked both matters. However, the dislike requires evidence. Therefore, the second opinion is that it is not disliked for the imam to recite a verse of prostration in the secret prayers. This is because he either prostrates or he does not. If he does not prostrate, there is no sin on him, no blame on him, and no dislike in that. This is because it is established from the Commander of the Faithful, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), that he recited a verse of prostration in the Friday sermon, so he descended and prostrated. Then he recited it in the second Friday sermon and did not prostrate. Then he said: "Allah has not obligated prostration upon us except that we wish to do it". Based on this, if the imam recites a verse of prostration in the secret prayers and does not prostrate, there is no sin on him, because Allah has not obligated it upon us. Then, if he prostrates, it does not cause confusion for the followers if the followers are few and can see him when he prostrates, because they will prostrate with him, especially if they are students of knowledge and it occurs to them that the imam recited a verse of prostration. But if they are many and cannot see him, or if they are not students of knowledge and they think he is forgetting and prostrates, then confusion occurs here, and we tell him not to prostrate. Yes.
The questioner : Very well. May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh.