Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
When the imam, after completing the prayer, sits facing the congregation, he may do whatever is necessary as he wishes. His remaining on the prayer mat is not restricted to any specific manner; he may engage himself in remembrance (dhikr) and supplication (du'a), fulfill the duty of invitation and guidance, or perform the Sunnah and supererogatory (nafl) prayers. Accordingly, under this heading, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has established the permissibility of the imam performing nafl prayers at the same place, and as evidence, he has presented the practice of Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhu. He has also mentioned that Qasim bin Muhammad bin Abi Bakr used to do the same. This narration has been reported by Imam Ibn Abi Shaybah with a connected chain in his book "Al-Musannaf." Ubaydullah bin Umar states that he saw Qasim and Salim; they would first perform the obligatory prayer and then perform the supererogatory prayers at the same place. (Al-Musannaf li Ibn Abi Shaybah, (Chapter) Those Who Permitted Supererogatory Prayer in One’s Place: 2/23)

(2)
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has narrated the report of Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu by meaning (bil-ma'na). In Abu Dawud, this narration is reported in these words: "Is any one of you unable, for the purpose of performing nafl prayers, to move forward, backward, or to the right or left from his place?" (Sunan Abi Dawud, Salat, Hadith: 1006) In Sunan al-Bayhaqi, this narration is reported as follows: "If anyone wishes to perform nafl prayers after the obligatory prayer, he should move forward and perform them." (Al-Sunan al-Kubra lil-Bayhaqi: 2/190) Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has ruled regarding the hadith of Abu Hurayrah that it is not authentic because there is confusion in its text and weakness in its chain, the details of which he has explained in his work, Al-Tarikh al-Kabir. He has stated that this hadith is not established. Similarly, it is also narrated from Mughira bin Shu'bah radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: "The imam should not perform nafl prayer at the place where he has already performed the obligatory prayer; he should move to another place and then perform the nafl prayer." But its chain is disconnected. (Sunan Abi Dawud, Salat, Hadith: 616 and Fath al-Bari: 2/433)

(3)
In view of various hadiths, there are different situations for the imam:
• After the prayer from which he has concluded with salam, there are Sunnah and supererogatory (nafl) prayers.
• After the prayer from which he has concluded with salam, there are no nafl or Sunnah prayers, as is the case with the Fajr prayer.

In the first case, there is a difference of opinion as to whether the prescribed remembrances (adhkar) should be recited first or the nafl prayers should be performed first. The majority opinion is that the remembrances should be recited first and then the nafl prayers performed. If, instead of reciting the remembrances, one changes his place, that is also sufficient, as Sa'ib bin Yazid says that he performed the Friday prayer with Mu'awiyah radi Allahu anhu, and after the congregation, he began to perform the Sunnah prayer. Mu'awiyah radi Allahu anhu said that after the Friday prayer, no other prayer should be performed until there has been some conversation, remembrance, or the place has been changed. In light of this hadith, merely changing the place for performing nafl prayers is sufficient.

In the second case, in which there are no Sunnah or nafl prayers after the obligatory prayer, the imam and the congregation should engage themselves in the prescribed remembrances. There is no need to specify any particular place for this. They may, if they wish, complete their remembrances while sitting in the same place after the prayer, or recite them at another place. If they wish to complete their remembrances there and the imam wants to give admonition and advice, he should fully turn his attention to the congregation and fulfill this duty. (And Fath al-Bari: 2/433)