Reference: Fatāwā Muḥammadiyyah, Vol. 1, p. 435
What do the scholars and jurists say regarding the Imam turning towards the congregation after completing Salah? Is it Sunnah for the Imam to sit facing his followers after saying Salām?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd:
From authentic, continuous Marfūʿ Hadith, it is clearly proven that after completing Salah, the Imam turning to face the congregation is undoubtedly a Sunnah.
✔ Hadith of Samurah bin Jundub (رضي الله عنه)
“When the Prophet ﷺ completed Salah, he would turn his blessed face towards us.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Vol. 1, p. 117)
✔ Hadith of Zayd bin Khālid al-Juhanī (رضي الله عنه)
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in Fajr prayer at Ḥudaybiyyah after a rainy night. When he completed Salah, he turned towards the people and said: Do you know what your Lord said?…”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Vol. 1, p. 117)
✔ Hadith of Anas bin Mālik (رضي الله عنه)
“One night, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ delayed the ‘Ishā prayer until half the night had passed. After praying, he turned towards us and said: People have prayed and gone to sleep, but you remained in prayer so long as you awaited it.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Vol. 1, p. 117)
✔ Practice of Anas (رضي الله عنه)
He would sometimes turn to his right and sometimes to his left after Salah, and he criticized those who restricted themselves only to the right side.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Bāb al-Inqitāl wa al-Inṣirāf, Vol. 1, p. 117)
✔ Hadith of ʿAbdullāh bin Masʿūd (رضي الله عنه)
“Do not give Shayṭān a share of your prayer by thinking you must always turn to your right. I have often seen the Prophet ﷺ turn to his left.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Vol. 1, p. 118; Sunan Abū Dāwūd, Vol. 1, p. 159)
✔ Hadith of al-Barāʾ bin ʿĀzib (رضي الله عنه)
“When we prayed behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, we preferred to stand on his right side, so that when he turned towards us after Salah, he would face us.”
(Sunan Abū Dāwūd, with ʿAwn al-Maʿbūd, Vol. 1, p. 337; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim; Nayl al-Awṭār, Vol. 3, p. 305)
✔ Hadith of Yazīd bin Aswad (رضي الله عنه)
“We performed Ḥajj with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ (Ḥajjat al-Wadāʿ). He led us in the Fajr prayer, then turned sitting to face the people.”
(Nayl al-Awṭār, Vol. 2, p. 307)
✔ Hadith of Anas (رضي الله عنه) in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim
“We waited for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ until nearly midnight. He came and led us in prayer, then turned to face us, and I could still see the shining of his silver ring.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Bāb Waqt al-ʿIshā, Vol. 1, p. 229)
From these eight authentic Hadiths, the following points are clear:
◈ It is Sunnah for the Imam, after completing Salah, to turn towards the congregation.
◈ After saying Allāhu Akbar, Astaghfirullāh (three times), and Allāhumma anta-s-salām wa minka-s-salām, the Imam should face the people.
◈ The wisdom behind this includes:
◈ The Prophet ﷺ sometimes turned right and sometimes left.
◈ Restricting it only to the right side is incorrect.
◈ Remaining facing the Qiblah is permissible but not the constant Sunnah.
◈ The established Sunnah is to turn towards the followers after Salah.
Conclusion:
Yes, it is Sunnah for the Imam to face the congregation after Salah.
ھذا ما عندي واللہ أعلم بالصواب
❖ Question
What do the scholars and jurists say regarding the Imam turning towards the congregation after completing Salah? Is it Sunnah for the Imam to sit facing his followers after saying Salām?
❖ Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd:
From authentic, continuous Marfūʿ Hadith, it is clearly proven that after completing Salah, the Imam turning to face the congregation is undoubtedly a Sunnah.
✦ Evidence from Hadith
✔ Hadith of Samurah bin Jundub (رضي الله عنه)
“When the Prophet ﷺ completed Salah, he would turn his blessed face towards us.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Vol. 1, p. 117)
✔ Hadith of Zayd bin Khālid al-Juhanī (رضي الله عنه)
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in Fajr prayer at Ḥudaybiyyah after a rainy night. When he completed Salah, he turned towards the people and said: Do you know what your Lord said?…”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Vol. 1, p. 117)
✔ Hadith of Anas bin Mālik (رضي الله عنه)
“One night, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ delayed the ‘Ishā prayer until half the night had passed. After praying, he turned towards us and said: People have prayed and gone to sleep, but you remained in prayer so long as you awaited it.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Vol. 1, p. 117)
✔ Practice of Anas (رضي الله عنه)
He would sometimes turn to his right and sometimes to his left after Salah, and he criticized those who restricted themselves only to the right side.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Bāb al-Inqitāl wa al-Inṣirāf, Vol. 1, p. 117)
✔ Hadith of ʿAbdullāh bin Masʿūd (رضي الله عنه)
“Do not give Shayṭān a share of your prayer by thinking you must always turn to your right. I have often seen the Prophet ﷺ turn to his left.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Vol. 1, p. 118; Sunan Abū Dāwūd, Vol. 1, p. 159)
✔ Hadith of al-Barāʾ bin ʿĀzib (رضي الله عنه)
“When we prayed behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, we preferred to stand on his right side, so that when he turned towards us after Salah, he would face us.”
(Sunan Abū Dāwūd, with ʿAwn al-Maʿbūd, Vol. 1, p. 337; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim; Nayl al-Awṭār, Vol. 3, p. 305)
✔ Hadith of Yazīd bin Aswad (رضي الله عنه)
“We performed Ḥajj with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ (Ḥajjat al-Wadāʿ). He led us in the Fajr prayer, then turned sitting to face the people.”
(Nayl al-Awṭār, Vol. 2, p. 307)
✔ Hadith of Anas (رضي الله عنه) in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim
“We waited for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ until nearly midnight. He came and led us in prayer, then turned to face us, and I could still see the shining of his silver ring.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Bāb Waqt al-ʿIshā, Vol. 1, p. 229)
✦ Summary of Rulings
From these eight authentic Hadiths, the following points are clear:
◈ It is Sunnah for the Imam, after completing Salah, to turn towards the congregation.
◈ After saying Allāhu Akbar, Astaghfirullāh (three times), and Allāhumma anta-s-salām wa minka-s-salām, the Imam should face the people.
◈ The wisdom behind this includes:
- Teaching and guiding the congregation,
- Indicating to latecomers that the prayer is over (since if the Imam remained facing the Qiblah, they might assume he was still in Tashahhud).
◈ The Prophet ﷺ sometimes turned right and sometimes left.
◈ Restricting it only to the right side is incorrect.
◈ Remaining facing the Qiblah is permissible but not the constant Sunnah.
◈ The established Sunnah is to turn towards the followers after Salah.
Conclusion:
Yes, it is Sunnah for the Imam to face the congregation after Salah.
ھذا ما عندي واللہ أعلم بالصواب
