Discussion of some of the rulings regarding the follower’s following the imam in prayer.

The Shaykh : He said: : This hadith indicates the importance of following the imam, and that Allah the Mighty and Majestic did not make the imam an imam who is not to be followed, because this, meaning not following him, contradicts his being an imam. So when he says the takbir, you say the takbir, and do not lag behind him; do not use the miswak or look around. When he says the takbir, hasten to say the takbir in order to catch the virtue of the takbir of intention, and do not say the takbir until he says it, because he says: : When he finishes the takbir, you say the takbir. The scholars said: "If one begins the takbir of intention before the imam has completed the takbir, then his prayer does not become valid and is invalid". As for the one who lags behind to use the miswak or make du'a or the like, he misses the virtue of the takbir of intention. So from the moment your imam says the takbir, you say the takbir. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: : so that people do not lag behind or delay entering with the imam from the beginning of the prayer.
The scholars differed regarding his saying: It was said the meaning is: -May Allah have mercy on you- It was said the meaning is: Do not begin the prayer after the iqamah except the prayer that is present. And it was said the meaning is: Do not begin or complete a prayer. And according to this second opinion, if the mu'adhdhin begins the iqamah, you cut off the prayer.
But the correct opinion is that if the prayer is established, if you are in the second rak'ah, complete it lightly, and if you are in the first rak'ah, cut it off, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: : If you catch a rak'ah before the prayer is ended, you have caught the prayer; complete it. And if you are in the first rak'ah, cut it off and enter with the imam.
He said: : And do not say: "Allah hears the one who praises Him." As for the one who said among the scholars: "You combine 'Allah hears the one who praises Him' and 'Our Lord, to You is the praise' just as the imam and the one praying alone combine them, then his saying is weak, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

and when he says: 'Sami' Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears the one who praises Him)' then say: 'Rabbana wa lakal-hamd (Our Lord, and to You be the praise).'

إذا قال سمع الله لمن حمده فقولوا: ربّنا ولك الحمد

Sunan an-Nasa'i 1061Sahih (Darussalam)

, and he did not say: Say 'Allah hears the one who praises Him, Our Lord, to You is the praise'".
And if he prays standing, we pray standing, and if he prays sitting, we pray sitting even if we are able to stand, and this indicates the importance of following the imam.
Meaning, for example, if we suppose two men, one of whom is more reciting than the other, but the more reciting one cannot stand, so he prays sitting, then the second one prays sitting even if he is able to stand. And likewise, if we suppose the imam entered the mosque and could not pray standing, he prays sitting, and the entire congregation, even if they are ten rows or more, pray sitting even if they are able to stand, .
And among what indicates the importance of following is that if the imam stands up from the first tashahhud while forgetting, it is obligatory for the people to follow him, the followers, even if he left the tashahhud, because they follow their imam. And this is also indicated by the fact that if you enter with the imam in the 'Asr prayer in the second rak'ah, you sit with him when he sits for the first tashahhud, and your sitting is sitting in a place where it does not belong, because you are in the first rak'ah. And when he stands up to the fourth, you stand up, and your standing is not in its place, because you are obligated to recite the first tashahhud. So now look: you left the tashahhud in its place and recited it in a place where it does not belong, all of this for the sake of following the imam. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said, and among that is if the imam does not sit for the sitting of rest, and you see that it is a recommended practice, but your imam does not sit, then do not sit for the sake of complete following. And if the imam considers the sitting and sits, and you do not consider the sitting, then sit following your imam. So you leave the sitting called the sitting of rest if your imam does not sit, following him, and you sit if he sits, following him, even if you do not consider that. And what he said (may Allah have mercy on him) is the truth, by the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): . And if you sit while he is standing, you have differed with him.
As for the difference of intention between the imam and the follower, there is no harm in it. So if you pray 'Asr behind one who is praying Zuhr, there is no harm. And if you pray 'Isha' behind one who is praying Maghrib, there is no harm. But when he says the salam from the third, you stand up and you come with the fourth. And if you missed the Fajr prayer, for example, and you entered and found a person making a voluntary prayer, praying the rawatib of Fajr, and you prayed with him with the intention of the obligatory prayer while he is doing a voluntary prayer, there is no harm. So the difference of intention does not harm. What harms is the difference of action, that you contradict him in his actions. And Allah is the One who grants success.