Those who said: follow the imam

Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The imam is appointed only to be followed. When he says the takbir, you say the takbir too; when he bows, you bow too; when he prostrates, you prostrate too. He is the first to raise his head and the first to put it down.

Sayyiduna Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Whoever raises his head before the imam or puts his head down before the imam, his forelock is in the hand of Satan; it is he who raises it and he who puts it down.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Whoever raises his head before the imam or puts it down before the imam, his forelock is in the hand of Satan.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Does the one who raises his head before the imam not fear that his head may be turned into the head of a donkey?"

Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Does the one who raises his head before the imam not fear that his head may be turned into the head of a dog?

Sayyiduna al-Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We used to pray behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). After rising from bowing we would remain standing in rows until, when he (peace and blessings be upon him) prostrated, we too prostrated following him.

It is narrated from Muhammad bin Yahya bin Habban that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Because of my advanced age my body has become heavy. Do not go ahead of me in bowing and prostration. I may go ahead of you while going into bowing, but you will catch up with me while rising from bowing. I will go ahead of you while going into prostration, but you will catch up with me while rising from prostration."

The same is also reported from Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him).

Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Do not go ahead of your imam in bowing and prostration.

Ibn Abi Layla said: Whoever, while praying with the imam, bows before him and prostrates before him is not with the imam.

Kahmas said: I prayed beside Abu Qilabah; he would not do any action until the imam had done it.

Sayyiduna al-Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his head from bowing, none of us would bend his back until he had prostrated; when he prostrated, we would follow him.

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: One day the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led us in prayer. When he finished the prayer, he turned his blessed face towards us and said: "O people! I am your imam, so do not go ahead of me in bowing, prostration, standing or the salam, for I see you in front of me and behind me."

Ibn Awn said: Muhammad (Ibn Sirin) considered it disliked for a person to say any takbir before the imam.

Hittan bin Abdullah said: Sayyiduna Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) led us in prayer. When he finished the prayer, he said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) addressed us and explained our religion to us and taught us our prayer. He said in it: "When the imam says the takbir, you say the takbir too, and when the imam bows, you bow too, for the imam bows before you and raises his head before you."

Ali bin Mudrik said: When Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Yemen, he was teaching the people of al-Nakha', and he said to them: "When you see me do something in the prayer, do the same." When he prostrated, a branch of a tree hurt his eyes, so he broke it in the prayer. Then every man among them went to a branch while in the prayer and broke it. When Sayyiduna Mu'adh completed the prayer, he said: "I broke the branch only because it hurt my eye when I went into prostration. But you have done well in the obedience you showed."

Nafi' bin Jubayr bin Mut'im said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Because of my advanced age my body has become heavy, so do not go ahead of me in standing and prostration."