Preceding the imaam in the prayer
Question We see some people among us in the mosque moving in the prayer in anticipation of the imaam’s movements and not after the imaam. Sometimes they move before the imaam. What is the ruling on this? Praise be to Allah. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: the…
Question
Praise be to Allah.
It
was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The imaam is appointed to
be followed. When he says ‘Allaahu akbar’, then say ‘Allaahu akbar’,
do not say it until he has said it. When he bows in rukoo’, then bow
in rukoo’, and do not do it until he has done it. When he says ‘Sami’a
Allaahu liman hamidah,’ then say, ‘Allaahumma Rabbanaa laka al-hamd.’
When he prostrates, then prostrate, and do not do it until he has done
it. If he prays standing then pray standing, and if he prays sitting,
then pray sitting, all of you.” (This version narrated by Abu Dawood;
similar reports are also narrated in al-Saheehayn).
What
we learn from this hadeeth is that it is obligatory to follow the imaam,
and that he is the leader in the movements, actions and words of the
prayer. It is not permissible to differ from him. The best is for the
follower’s movements to come immediately after the imaam’s movements,
and not to delay them … This immediate following is indicated (in the
original Arabic of the hadeeth) by the particle fa (then), which implies sequence.
We
also learn from this hadeeth that anticipating or preceding the imaam
is forbidden, and if it is done deliberately, it invalidates the prayer.
Delaying following him, like preceding him, is not allowed.
The phrase “the
imaam is appointed to be followed” means that the one who is following
should not precede the one whom he is following or move at the same
time as him; his movements should come straight after the imaam’s movements.
And Allaah knows best.
