The Correct Method of Following the Imam
Question: Please explain the correct method for a follower to follow the Imam in prayer according to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah.
Answer: It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
لَا تُبَادِرُوا الإِمَامَ، إِذَا كَبَّرَ فَكَبِّرُوا، وَإِذَا قَالَ: وَلا الضَّالِّينَ سورة الفاتحة آية 7، فَقُولُوا: آمِينَ، وَإِذَا رَكَعَ فَارْكَعُوا، وَإِذَا قَالَ: سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ، فَقُولُوا: اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ
“Do not hasten before the Imam; when he says Takbir, say Takbir; when he وَلَا الضَّآلِّيْنَ, say Ameen. When he bows, bow; when he سَمِعَ اللهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ, say اَللّٰهُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ.”
In another narration, the words are:
فَإِذَا كَبَّرَ فَكَبِّرُوا وَلَا تُكَبِّرُوا حَتَّى يُكَبِّرَ، وَإِذَا رَكَعَ فَارْكَعُوا وَلَا تَرْكَعُوا حَتَّى يَرْكَعَ، وَإِذَا قَالَ: سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ فَقُولُوا: اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ، قَالَ مُسْلِمٌ: وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ، وَإِذَا سَجَدَ فَاسْجُدُوا وَلَا تَسْجُدُوا حَتَّى يَسْجُدَ
“When he says Takbir, say Takbir and do not say Takbir until he says it; when he bows, bow and do not bow until he bows; when he says سمع الله لمن حمده, say اللهم ربنا لكم الحمد; and when he prostrates, prostrate, and if he does not prostrate, do not prostrate.”
Maulana Muhammad Ismail Salafi (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote in “The Prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)”:
“The words of the Hadith indicate that when the Imam has said Takbir, the follower should say Takbir after him; when the Imam goes into prostration, you go into prostration; when the Imam raises his head, you raise your head; when he says سَمِعَ اللهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ, you say رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ. This shows that the follower should perform every action only after the Imam has done it. One should neither go before the Imam nor simultaneously with him, but follow the Imam, that is, walk behind him.”
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) saw a man who was going ahead of the Imam in performing the pillars of prayer and said: “You have neither prayed alone nor followed the Imam.”
Also, it is narrated from Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with both) that:
“He saw a person going ahead of the Imam and said: ‘You have neither prayed alone nor followed the Imam.’ He struck him and said: ‘Repeat the prayer.’”
Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with both) considered such prayer invalid.
Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The Prophet’s (peace be upon him) statement: إِذَا كَبَّرَ فَكَبِّرُوْا means that the Imam’s Takbir should finish before the follower says Takbir. People make mistakes out of ignorance and take the matter of prayer lightly; they start saying Takbir with the Imam, which is wrong.”
Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote extensively at this point that performing all the pillars before or simultaneously with the Imam is incorrect. When the Imam goes into bowing or prostration and his Takbir ends, the follower should then begin bowing, prostrating, etc. This mistake is common in our country; all groups commit this error. If they do not go ahead, they at least perform the actions simultaneously with the Imam, which is clearly against the Hadith and risks invalidating the prayer. Obedience to the Imam legally means that the Imam performs all the pillars first. The follower should start when the Imam is engaged in the pillar. The essence of the Hadith is that neither going ahead of the Imam nor simultaneous action is correct; rather, the follower should join the Imam after he has engaged in a pillar.
It is surprising that all schools of thought are afflicted by this mistake. The Barelvi group is so engrossed in innovations that Allah has deprived their hearts of love for the Sunnah. They are always busy searching for new innovations. The Ahl al-Hadith and other monotheist groups are also afflicted by this mistake from beginning to end, except those whom Allah has had mercy upon.
Imam Ahmad’s statement is very accurate:
لَوْ صَلَّيْتَ فِيْ مِئَةِ مَسْجِدٍ مَّا رَأَيْتَ اَهْلَ مَسْجِدٍ وَّاحِدٍ يُّقِيْمُوْنَ الصَّلَاةَ عَلٰي مَا جَاءَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَعَنْ اَصْحَابِهِ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمْ
(Here ends the words of Maulana Ismail Salafi)
“If you pray in a hundred mosques, you will not find the prayer in any of them performed according to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the method of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).”
What Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) and Maulana Ismail Salafi (may Allah have mercy on him) explained regarding these Ahadith is the same understanding that all the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) had of the commands of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and acted accordingly.
It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him):
كُنَّا نُصَلِّي خَلْفَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَإِذَا قَالَ:” سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ، لَمْ يَحْنِ أَحَدٌ مِنَّا ظَهْرَهُ حَتَّى يَضَعَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ جَبْهَتَهُ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ
“We used to pray behind the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him). When he said سَمِعَ اللهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ, none of us would bend his back until the Prophet (peace be upon him) placed his forehead on the ground.”
No companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would bend his back before the Prophet (peace be upon him) placed his forehead on the ground. Is there still a mosque where all the people have such patience that not a single person bends his back before the Imam places his forehead on the ground? At least I have not found one. However, by Allah’s mercy, there is hope that if we try our best and repeatedly advise our brothers, this practice will begin to be observed.
When Hajjaj bin Yusuf had no position in the Muslim government, once he prayed beside Saeed bin Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him) and began raising his head before the Imam and going into prostration before him. When he finished the Salam, Saeed bin Musayyib held the edge of his cloak and continued his adhkar after prayer. Hajjaj tried to free himself until Saeed completed his adhkar, then he turned to Hajjaj and admonished him strongly for his haste and taught him the etiquettes of prayer. Hajjaj listened silently and said nothing in reply. Eventually, he became the ruler of Hijaz. When he came to Medina and entered the Prophet’s Mosque, he went to Saeed bin Musayyib’s gathering, sat before him, and said: “Was it you who said those things one day?” Saeed struck his chest and said: “Yes, I said them.” Hajjaj said: “May Allah reward you, a teacher and one who teaches etiquette. After you, whenever I prayed, I always remembered your words.” Then he stood up and left.
This discipline had such an effect that even the best people were not safe from Hajjaj’s hand, but he always respected Saeed’s teaching of etiquette and never troubled or harmed him. We should also try that if someone praying with us hastens in this manner, we advise him. May Allah rectify him and include us in his correct prayers and good supplications. Even if he does not accept, at least we will have fulfilled our obligation.
