What is the criterion for following the imam? Is it hearing the voice or seeing the movement? Because the imam in our area says the takbir while standing, so some of the ma'mum get ahead of him.
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The questioner : My question, O Shaykh (may Allah preserve you): What is the criterion for following the imam? Is it hearing the voice, or seeing the movement? Because the imam in our neighborhood says the takbir for prostration while standing, so the people drop down before him; they prostrate before him. What is the criterion, O Shaykh?
And is his action correct?
The Shaykh : The criterion is the action, because the takbir is a sign of it and evidence for it. So if I am watching the imam, and he says: Allahu Akbar, while he is standing, before he reaches the ground, and I see that he has not reached the ground, then I do not prostrate. This is based on the statement of al-Bara' ibn 'Azib:Sahih al-Bukhari 690.
As for if I do not see him, then the function of hearing comes into play here. So act according to what you hear, and the imam is responsible for that. If he is saying the takbir while standing, then the responsibility is on him.
And some people say the takbir while standing, because they are praying with a microphone, and if they say the takbir for prostration, it is not heard. And this is an error from two aspects:
First: Using the loudspeaker in prayer has no basis and no need for it, because it will be heard by those who are outside the mosque, and those who are outside the mosque do not need it. Rather, it only increases their laziness. You will find the lazy person, when he hears the imam in the first rak'ah, says: "Later." In the second, he says: "Later." The prayer is caught with one rak'ah. In the third, likewise. In the fourth, he says: Some scholars say that the prayer is caught with the takbir of intention. So he misses the prayer while he is procrastinating. For this reason, this is considered an error by some imams:
First: There is no need for it.
And second: It causes the lazy person to persist in his laziness.
And third, which is the most severe: It disturbs others. It disturbs others from other mosques, and even those who are praying in their homes. Have you seen, for example, a woman who is praying in her home, and the imam is reciting with the loudspeaker? She will be confused and it will disturb her. And this is what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited, when he heard his Companions reciting and raising their voices with the Qur'an while they were praying, he said:.
The questioner : Do you not direct them, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : By Allah, we sometimes direct them, and praise be to Allah, in our country, we have not heard anyone pray with the loudspeaker except on Friday.
And is his action correct?
The Shaykh : The criterion is the action, because the takbir is a sign of it and evidence for it. So if I am watching the imam, and he says: Allahu Akbar, while he is standing, before he reaches the ground, and I see that he has not reached the ground, then I do not prostrate. This is based on the statement of al-Bara' ibn 'Azib:
none of us bent his back (for prostration) till the Prophet (ﷺ) prostrated and then we would prostrate after him.
كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا سجد لا يحني أحد منا ظهره حتى يقع النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ساجداً ثم نقع سجوداً بعدهAs for if I do not see him, then the function of hearing comes into play here. So act according to what you hear, and the imam is responsible for that. If he is saying the takbir while standing, then the responsibility is on him.
And some people say the takbir while standing, because they are praying with a microphone, and if they say the takbir for prostration, it is not heard. And this is an error from two aspects:
First: Using the loudspeaker in prayer has no basis and no need for it, because it will be heard by those who are outside the mosque, and those who are outside the mosque do not need it. Rather, it only increases their laziness. You will find the lazy person, when he hears the imam in the first rak'ah, says: "Later." In the second, he says: "Later." The prayer is caught with one rak'ah. In the third, likewise. In the fourth, he says: Some scholars say that the prayer is caught with the takbir of intention. So he misses the prayer while he is procrastinating. For this reason, this is considered an error by some imams:
First: There is no need for it.
And second: It causes the lazy person to persist in his laziness.
And third, which is the most severe: It disturbs others. It disturbs others from other mosques, and even those who are praying in their homes. Have you seen, for example, a woman who is praying in her home, and the imam is reciting with the loudspeaker? She will be confused and it will disturb her. And this is what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited, when he heard his Companions reciting and raising their voices with the Qur'an while they were praying, he said:
Let not some of you raise his voice over others in the Qur'an, or he said: in the recitation.
لا يجهرن بعضكم على بعض في القرآن أو قال في القراءةThe questioner : Do you not direct them, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : By Allah, we sometimes direct them, and praise be to Allah, in our country, we have not heard anyone pray with the loudspeaker except on Friday.