A man praying alone next to a congregation whose imam made a mistake: is it permissible for him to correct him?
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The questioner : Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
O Shaykh, may Allah preserve you and the listeners, and may He make your knowledge beneficial: A man is praying the regular voluntary prayer (rawatib) in one of the mosques, then a congregation came and prayed the obligatory prayer next to him, and this was during the prayer where the recitation is loud. Then the imam made a mistake in one of the surahs. What is the position of this person who is in the regular voluntary prayer? Does he correct him or not? Then, he finished his regular voluntary prayer and began, after he had finished it, the congregation that was praying began the second surah, and then he made a mistake in the same situation. What is his position while he is praying? And after he has finished the prayer, does he correct him or leave him?
The Shaykh : Yes, if the mistake changes the meaning, it is obligatory to correct him, because it is not permissible to leave someone in error regarding the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And if it does not change the meaning, it is not obligatory for him. But when he finished the rawatib, I did not understand from the question whether he joined them or not? Did he join them, or is this rawatib a post-prayer prayer?
The questioner : It is a post-prayer prayer.
The Shaykh : Well, the answer is as you heard.
O Shaykh, may Allah preserve you and the listeners, and may He make your knowledge beneficial: A man is praying the regular voluntary prayer (rawatib) in one of the mosques, then a congregation came and prayed the obligatory prayer next to him, and this was during the prayer where the recitation is loud. Then the imam made a mistake in one of the surahs. What is the position of this person who is in the regular voluntary prayer? Does he correct him or not? Then, he finished his regular voluntary prayer and began, after he had finished it, the congregation that was praying began the second surah, and then he made a mistake in the same situation. What is his position while he is praying? And after he has finished the prayer, does he correct him or leave him?
The Shaykh : Yes, if the mistake changes the meaning, it is obligatory to correct him, because it is not permissible to leave someone in error regarding the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And if it does not change the meaning, it is not obligatory for him. But when he finished the rawatib, I did not understand from the question whether he joined them or not? Did he join them, or is this rawatib a post-prayer prayer?
The questioner : It is a post-prayer prayer.
The Shaykh : Well, the answer is as you heard.