What should one do when praying behind an imam who does not adhere to the recommended practice of eleven rak'ahs in the night prayer, as is the case in the Sacred Mosque, for example?
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The questioner : The Sacred Mosque, how many rak'ahs do we pray with them? Do we pray, I mean, all the rak'ahs, or do we pray?
The Shaykh : It is obligatory to adhere to the recommended practice.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Whether you pray behind someone who considers the addition permissible.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And it is sufficient that it is an addition to the recommended practice!
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Or he restricts himself to the recommended practice.
The questioner : Yes, so can we, for example, pray with them the first or last eight rak'ahs without any problem?
The Shaykh : No, here there are two scenarios.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Either a prayer of ten rak'ahs, not eight.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And the one rak'ah remains.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Then this worshipper who prayed ten rak'ahs in congregation has the choice; if he wishes, he can delay the witr to the end of the night.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And if he wishes, he follows the same imam, then intends to separate, when the imam stands for the twelfth rak'ah.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : He.
The questioner : Sits down.
The Shaykh : He sits down and does not follow him in the addition.
The Shaykh : It is obligatory to adhere to the recommended practice.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Whether you pray behind someone who considers the addition permissible.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And it is sufficient that it is an addition to the recommended practice!
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Or he restricts himself to the recommended practice.
The questioner : Yes, so can we, for example, pray with them the first or last eight rak'ahs without any problem?
The Shaykh : No, here there are two scenarios.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Either a prayer of ten rak'ahs, not eight.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And the one rak'ah remains.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Then this worshipper who prayed ten rak'ahs in congregation has the choice; if he wishes, he can delay the witr to the end of the night.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And if he wishes, he follows the same imam, then intends to separate, when the imam stands for the twelfth rak'ah.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : He.
The questioner : Sits down.
The Shaykh : He sits down and does not follow him in the addition.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.