The manner in which one who is led in prayer by an Imam must follow him, and the rule applying to the one who is preceded by him - Section 1

English translation

Al-Bara’ b. ‘Azib said:

We used to pray behind the Prophet, and when he said, "God listens to him who praises Him," none of us bowed his back till the Prophet (ﷺ) placed his forehead on the ground. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

English translation

Anas said:

God’s Messenger led us in prayer one day, and when he finished his prayer he faced us and said, "O people, I am your <i>imam</i>, so do not bow, prostrate yourselves, stand, or go away before I do, for I see you both in front of me and behind me." Muslim transmitted it.

English translation

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, "Do not try to go ahead of the <i>imam</i>. When he says ‘God is most great’ say ‘God is most great’; when he says ‘Nor of those who err’ (i.e. the end of <i>sura</i> 1) say ‘Amen’; when he bows bow; and when he says ‘God listens to him who praises Him’ say, ‘O God, our Lord, to You be the praise’." (Bukhari and Muslim, but Bukhari did not mention "and when he says, ‘Nor of those who err”’.)

English translation

Anas said God’s Messenger was thrown off a horse he was riding and his right side was grazed. He then prayed one of the prayers sitting and we prayed behind him sitting, and when he finished he said, "The <i>imam</i> is appointed only to be followed; so when he prays standing pray standing, when he bows bow, when he raises himself raise yourselves, when he says ‘God listens to him who praises Him say, ‘Our Lord, to You be the praise’, and when he prays sitting all of you pray sitting." Al-Humaidi said that "when he prays sitting pray sitting" was said during his earlier illness.* After that the Prophet (ﷺ) prayed sitting while the people behind him were standing, but he did not order them to sit, and it is only the last action of the Prophet (ﷺ) that is to be acted upon. * The reference is to his illness at the time when he swore not to go near his wives for a month. This is Bukhari’s wording, and Muslim has the same up to “all of you”. In a version he added, “Do not act differently from him, and prostrate yourselves when he prostrates himself.”

English translation

‘A’isha said:

When God’s Messenger was seriously ill* and Bilal came to announce the time of prayer for him, he said, “Order Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer.” So Abu Bakr led the prayer during those days, then when the Prophet (ﷺ) experienced some improvement in his condition he got up and came into the mosque swaying between two men with his feet touching the ground. On hearing the sound Abu Bakr began to withdraw, but God’s Messenger signed to him not to do so. He then came and sat at Abu Bakr’s left, and Abu Bakr prayed standing and God’s Messenger prayed sitting, Abu Bakr following God’s Messenger’s prayer, while the people followed Abu Bakr’s. * Here the reference is to the Prophet's last illness. (Bukhari and Muslim.) They both have a version which says that Abu Bakr caused the people to hear the <i>takbir</i>.

English translation

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Does he who raises his head before the <i>imam</i> not fear that God may change his head into a donkey’s?” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

English translation

‘Ali and Mu'adh b. Jabal reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When any of you comes to pray and the <i>imam</i> is at a certain point, he must do as the <i>imam</i> does.” Tirmidhi transmitted it and said this is a <i>gharib</i> tradition.

English translation

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When you come to the prayer and we are prostrating ourselves you must prostrate yourselves without reckoning it as part of your prayer; and if anyone is present at a <i>rak'a</i> he has been present at the prayer.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

English translation

Anas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone prays to God for forty days in congregation being present in time for the first <i>takbira</i>, two immunities will be recorded for him, one from hell and one from hypocrisy,” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

English translation

Abu Huraira reported God s Messenger as saying, “If anyone performs ablution, doing it well, then goes and finds that the people have finished the prayer, God will give him a reward equivalent to that of those who prayed and were present at it without that diminishing anything from their rewards.” Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

English translation

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri told how a man came when God’s Messenger had already prayed, and he said, “Will no one give alms* to this man and pray along with him?” Thereupon a man got up and prayed along with him. * This is a literal translation. The idea is that by joining with him he increased the reward the man would receive for his prayer, as prayer in company has a much greater reward than prayer alone. Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

English translation

‘Ubaidallah b. ‘Abdallah said he visited ‘A’isha and asked her to tell him about the illness of God’s Messenger. She agreed and said:

The Prophet (ﷺ) was seriously ill, and he asked whether the people had prayed. When I told him that they had not, but were waiting for him, he asked me to put some water for him in the tub, and I did so. He bathed, and when he was about to rise with difficulty he fainted. When he came round he asked if the people had prayed, and when I told him that they had not, but were waiting for him, he told me to put some water for him in the tub and sat down and bathed, but when he was about to rise with difficulty he fainted. On coming round he asked whether the people had prayed, and when I told him they had not, but were waiting for him, he asked me to put some water for him in the tub and sat down and bathed, but when he was about to rise with difficulty he fainted. When he came round he asked whether the people had prayed and I told him they had not, but were waiting for him. The people were staying in the mosque waiting for the Prophet (ﷺ) for the last evening prayer, so the Prophet (ﷺ) sent instructions to Abu Bakr to lead the people in the prayer. When the Messenger came to him and told him God’s Messenger was ordering him to lead the people in the prayer, Abu Bakr, who was a sensitive man, told ‘Umar to lead the people, but when ‘Umar replied, “You are more entitled to that,” Abu Bakr led the prayers during those days. Afterwards the Prophet (ﷺ) experienced some improvement in his condition and went out between two men, one of whom was al-‘Abbas, to the noon prayer when Abu Bakr was leading the people. When Abu Bakr saw him he began to withdraw, but the Prophet (ﷺ) signed to him not to do so. He told his two companions to set him down beside Abu Bakr, and they did so and he remained seated. ‘Ubaidallah said that he visited ‘Abdallah b. ‘Abbas and asked if he might submit to him what ‘A’isha had told him about the illness of God’s Messenger, and he said, “Go ahead.” He submitted to him what she had told and he objected to none of it, only asking whether she had named to him the man who accompanied al- ‘Abbas. When he replied that she had not, he said that he was ‘Ali. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

English translation

Abu Huraira used to say:

If one is in time for the <i>rak'a</i> he is credited with the <i>sajda</i>, but if one misses the recitation of <i>Umm al- Qur'an</i> (Al-Qur’an; 1) a great amount of good has passed him by. Malik transmitted it.

English translation

He said:

If anyone raises and lowers his head before the <i>imam</i>, his forelock is in the devil’s hand. Malik transmitted it.