Why You Must Follow the Imam in Prayer

How you doing, man? Happy night.

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My legs aren't long enough. I reach the floor. Alhamdulillah.

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The prophet sallall.aii alaihi wasallam tells us in a narration which was collected by Muslim on the authority of Abdah. He mentions that the prophet sallall.aii wasallam said for.

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It's a number of narrations put together with different wordings. In this narration, the prophet sallall.aii wasallam tells us that the imam has been set in order to be followed. If we look at the linguistic origins of the word imm shares origins and it shares a common etmology with the word em which is to be in front of something. And so the prophet sallall.aii wasallam here is gesturing to the language of the narration. He's gesturing to the language of the word, excuse me, im linguistically. So he's saying the im has been sent in order to be followed. He's been referred to as the imam in order to be followed meaning in salah because he is because of the word itself means to be in front. Therefore the imam has only been placed in order to be followed. So what does this mean? He goes on to elaborate. He said, "Hence, if he says to initiate the prayer, then say, notice the wording here, then say if he says Allahbar, then say Allahbar." And this letter this here articulates two meanings. Okay. The first meaning is that what comes after it is following what comes before it in the sentence. So here he's saying if he is if he says Allahbar then say Allahbar after him. The second point to be taken from this is that so what this also means is that what follows it in the sentence should come immediately after what came before it in the sentence. I know someone probably listening to this is thinking, "Oh my gosh, this guy is going into this linguistic stuff and he's losing me." It's it's very simple to understand this in the Quran and elsewhere in the Arabic language when we see it, it means that what comes after it should follow immediately in time what comes before it in the sentence. So when the prophet sallallah.aii alaihi wasallam says he says if he says Allahbar then immediately right after say Allahbar and we learn from this that not only are we to follow the imam so we cannot go in front of him or with him in the prayer we have to follow behind and number Two, the following of the imam should be immediate. It shouldn't be u much delayed. And so the scholars of Islam, the jurists, they took from this that if a person does not follow the imam within two pillars, then his prayer becomes invalid. Within two pillars, what does that mean? for instance, standing is a pillar. Rur is a pillar. Coming up from and standing is a pillar. Making sujud is a pillar. Right? So two pillars after the im a person's salah now becomes invalid because they're no longer following the im. If if that makes sense. So what this means is that if a person were hypothetically following the Imam and the Imam says Allahbar and goes into and the person is still in the standing position then the im says Allah and the person is still not made they are now two pillars behind the im and this will invalidate a person's prayer. Okay. Also we understand from this narration that a person cannot go in front of the imam because this now defeats the purpose of the imam. So there are four instances in following the imam. The narration of jab in its entirety the imam has merely been placed in order to be followed. He has been set as the imam in order to be followed in prayer. Hence if he begins with his initial then follow him in saying Allah abbar then say Allah abbar and if he recites then listen and if he goes into then go into this is the whole narration. Now there are four instances of how people deal with the imam in their prayer. Number one, a person goes ahead of the im. They make their to initiate prayer before the im. The imam has not reached the position of they are in already the position of the imam has not reached the position of sujud. They are already ahead of him in sujud. This is haram. It is prohibited in the least scenario. The worst case scenario amongst the scholars of had of the jurists of Islam is that they say a person who intentionally goes ahead of the imam intentionally goes in front of the imam knowing that he is doing so his prayer is invalid for doing this. The second instance is going with the imam simultaneously and this is prohibited but it will not invalidate a person's prayer. So for instance the im says Allahbar and goes into and the person is going into at the same time with the im. This is prohibited. The third instance is a person is lagging way behind the imam and this is prohibited unless the person is behind the imam of two or more pillars then this leads to the invalidation of the salah. Then the fourth and final way is the correct way which is that a person follows immediately the im and they move behind the im in everything in everything right not just injud but even in so for instance the imam reaches and then people will sometimes even sometimes jump the gun before the imam has a chance to even finish the verse. Right? And they are saying right a should wait until the im begins the and then say it with the im. So a person begins the im says when they first hear the imam say to begin the then the people behind join in in one singular voice. This is the proper way to follow the im. Same thing with aim. The im for instance begin with to the right. A person still does not make. He finishes to the left. Then the person begins to make. This is the proper way to follow the im. And you know this is a a much more detailed subject, but this is just to kind of get the the questions flowing or get the you know get the the mental juices flowing. So inshallah as as per usual if we have any questions we'll take those questions now. Inshallah. Yes, we have a we have a microphone. We got everything set up today. This is just for you, right? I knew you were coming. You specifically. So, I said, "Guys, we got to get ready for him." Okay.

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Sujud, right?

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Doing it. How long is it allowed to be not to fall behind? Right? So especially with something sjud the the correct timing of when a person begins to move into the next stage of the prayer the next pillar then is once the imam has reached that pillar. So if we listen to for instance the companions and others. They said we would stand and wait for the prophet sallall.aii wasallam when he goes to make sujud and each of us would stand totally still none of us would even bend his back to prepare to go into sujud until we saw his forehead had reached the ground. Now that is the ideal time to follow the imam. Once the imam reaches the position then you go into it. Once the imam reaches the sitting position then you come up from sujud. Once the imam reaches right that's the ideal time. But what happens sometimes the imam is going too fast. Right? And so if you wait that you'll be behind him. You never want to in the worst case scenario go past following the imam directly. Right? You never want to reach the position where you are going simultaneous with the imam. That is the point that you never want to go to. Even if you're following an imam that is going too quickly. If the imam is going so fast that you are unable to keep a very tight following of him, then the prayer anyways may be incorrect. And so what would you do in this situation? I think most of us have kind of been in this situation where you're following an im and he's going so fast that you're not having the ability to say subhah once and find complete stillness in that position which is referred to as so in this case the tell us that you should break off and start making your own salah on your own. What does that mean? So the imam is going so fast you can't follow him. You don't have to leave the place that you're in. But you now start to make your prayer on your own and your prayer will be valid. Understood? You get what I mean? Now.

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Parents, you know, to teach the kids because this is when they're young, you know, that's when they learn.

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The the where does teaching come from, right? If you look at all the narrations we have of the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam in the most generous estimates counting weak narrations we have around 30,000 narrations without repetition. Now these narrations can range anywhere from a single word to a long hutwa that he gave or even a something that he did. This is all counted as a narration. 30,000 narrations. You count that against 23 years that is a little that's not very much is it? I if you think about 23 years how much does a person speak in one day? How much does a person speak in one in one year? If you had someone following you write in everything or the angels that are writing, if you could look at what they're writing, how much there could there be? Much more than 30,000. Should be more 300 or maybe even 3 million narrations, right? 300,000. What does this articulate? That he spoke very little and did very much. And most of the things that he did was repetition, right? He would say the same thing over and over and over. He would teach the same thing over and over and over until people understood until it became part of the culture. And this is not enough to just be oh the said or the helps but that's not how we solve problems. How do we solve problems? By doing by action. Now, next question. Inshallah. Oh, we got There we go.

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We follow what we hear or what we see? If you're able to see the IM, you should always look at the IM, especially when he is changing positions. You always look at the imam and especially when he is changing positions. However, if you're follow if you're unable to see the imam, you should follow those who are following him.

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The because we see this sometimes Very good question. Does he follow all the time even if you forget? Okay, so we have a situation. Here's the here's the circumstance. The person is following the im. If the imam forgets something and leaves it out. Okay? And he reaches the next pillar then you follow him. Now this is with leaving it out. Leaving out something then you follow the im. So for instance let's say the im forgets the first in a prayer that has more than one. He forgets it. He stands straight up. If he has reached the position of standing, then you follow the iman, right? However, if it is the case of adding to the prayer, so let's say we're praying behind an im and she Ali is, you know, elsewhere today, right? Or sheh is elsewhere today and he's leading us in salah and he's got some on his mind. And so after the fourth raka, he stands up for the fifth. And we all know for sure that this is the fourth raqa. He has just stood up for a fifth. Do we follow him or not? It is impermissible to follow him in this case. Why? Because knowingly adding a pillar to prayer invalidates it. So there's a difference between missing and adding. Right? Now what if the im stands up for the fifth raq and we all know that it is the fourth we are positive of this and we say subhan allah but the imam he doesn't agree he disagrees and he insists on praying the fifth raqa what do we do we stay seated and wait for him to come back to us we do not add a pillar knowingly to the prayer it would be the same as adding two or making a third saga right knowingly adding a prayer to to adding a pillar to the prayer invalidates the prayer. So this is a very very good question actually and if the imam reaches that position then he shouldn't go back down into the the u the for instance the first yes.

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Third same thing same ruling book same ruling yes next question Abu Ali here all the way in the in the corner there.

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Make sujud the sujud of forgetfulness in a prayer that is not the obligatory prayer. Soju for those who don't know if a person forgets something in prayer forgets to add something mistakenly or forgets something mistakenly or what have you there's instances for then at the very end after the person then makes two sujud either before or after this is what he's asking about and the question is do you make sujud in the salam meaning not for rather you're just making two for instance and you miss something do you make the answer is yes the majority of the scholars of Islam hold the view that is applicable to any prayer whether it be an obligatory prayer or a an optional one Next question. Inshallah. This guy over here. What would we do without fat? Seriously, the masid is going to fall apart without this guy. Go ahead.

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To the subject of the narration you mentioned which is following the imam. what about saying a mean after a fat? Do we wait for the imam to say a mean and say it afterwards or do we say it simult simult simultaneously with the with the imam.

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Is an incredible act of worship. I want to say this, this is a little bit off the question, but it's important information. It is an incredible act of worship. Imagine what is mean? What does the meaning of? It means it is. It is the name of a ver verb which means Oh Allah, please answer our dua. Answer our supplication. Now imagine this. You are with your brothers and sisters in prayer. The imam says and then we all together say together in one voice begging Allah until the walls shake. Please Allah answer our dua. That's what is and that is why it is so important and that is why the reward for is so great in Bkari the prophet sallall.aii mentions that when the Imam says the angels say amen he says and hence whoever's coincides with the angels what is passed of his sins will be forgiven. That is an that's the narration is it's an incredible narration. Correct? I mean for such a small thing seemingly this is the reward. Well, why is that reward so great for such a seemingly simple act of worship? The reason isn't because of how hard or difficult or easy the act of worship is, but because of what the act of worship represents. It is a group of Allah's slaves that got together to to to beg to the heavens. Oh Allah, forgive us and answer our prayers. It's an incredible act of worship. And so for this reason he mentions when the used to take place in the time of the companions he mentions Abdullahn Zuber Abdullahn Zuber he is considered of the companions even though he doesn't fit exactly what a companion is because Abdullahn Zuber was a baby he was very young who's a toddler when the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam passed away. However, what Abdullahbn Zub said or did is extremely important from a perspective. Why? Because number one, we know all of his teachers were what? Companions. Number two, he was the Amir of Mecca for a long time, for a time. and the most knowledgeable of the senior companions were there with him in Mecca and would agree with the things that he said and the things that he did. Alm Bkari said that Abdullahbn Zub when he was the the of Mecca when he would say the people would then say with him with him in one united voice until the masid would shake and rumble from the sound. That is what it was described as right in. And so what do we understand from this? We understand that once the im begins to say am you don't go before him. Once you hear the im say and that's how this the write it in that way. Once he begins with the first vowel of which is the al if once you hear that you then begin to say it with him and finish together and if your coincides with the tet of the im and finishes with him and doesn't start before him that is when your tet coincides with the tet of the angels does that make sense Now, any more questions? We have about 3 or 4 minutes left.

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In salah and does it invalidate salah?

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Question. What is considered to be excessive movement in salah and does it invalidate your prayer? First of all, the scholars all agree this is an issue of all of the four including all agree that excessive movement in the prayer invalidates your prayer. But the question now is what is the gauge or the yard stick or the metric for excessive movement. Right? We have to first understand what is meant by movement. When the fuka say movement, they're not speaking about any movement. They're speaking about movement that does not serve the prayer. We understand that movement that does not serve the prayer. So for instance, let's say we didn't have a microphone system the way it was. Okay? Let's say the imam has to hold the microphone in his hand. Holding the microphone in his hand and placing it down when he goes for a sujud and reaching out to grab it and so forth. That is movement. That's not part of the prayer. Correct? But it is movement that serves the prayer. Understood? That's an important distinction because some people and I I've even had this happen before where brothers will read in a book of that says you know three or more movements or excessive movement invalidates the prayer and they think that their prayer is invalid if the imam holds the microphone. Right? This is not what the fuka are speaking about when they say excessive movement invalidates prayer. They are speaking about movement that does not serve the prayer. Right? how do we know this? Well, first of all, when the prophet sallallah.aii was first received revelation to start praying towards Mecca and he was in Medina. Some narrations place this as others place it as whatever it is when he received that in his masid the other massid haven't receive that message yet they're still praying towards Maktis which is the opposite direction and so one of the companions and the narration is in Bkari came across another group of companions that were praying Jama And they were praying towards Betal Makis. And he said to them while they were in prayer, I hereby testify that I just prayed with the prophet sallall.aii wasallam and salah has now been redirected to masid haram. So the companions in Rur, they were in Rur turned around in their prayer while in Rur simultaneously and then continued their prayer and it wasn't viewed as invalid. Now this is one instance of many. Now how much movement took place for that that coordination to happen? If you could imagine that kind of coordination and no less. Therefore, we see that none of the companions that were in that prayer or others viewed that as invalidating the prayer even though it was much excessive movement. Why? Because it was excessive movement that what serves the prayer. Okay. Now, let's speak about excessive movement that does not serve the prayer. scratching my head or you know someone or me messing around with their clothes or something that. That does not serve the prayer. That excessive movement breaks salah. It will invalidate a person's salah. Now the scholars agree on that. They differ on what is the threshold of excessive because non- excessive or you know acts that are not too excess they will not break the prayer they will not invalidate the prayer but what is the threshold and the the point of no return between excessive and not some scholars say well they give it a number so they say two or three movements. Some say three movements, right? And these three movements have to be in succession, one right after the other. So he he straightens his glasses, straightens out his his ths with his beard or his hat or something that. Three in quick succession that breaks the prayer. However, there's no number set for this. The correct opinion is that if it reaches the degree where someone watching you would not know that you are in prayer because of the movement that will invalidate the salah. Does that make sense? So let's say a person is actually praying but when you walk in you see them adjusting and drying their face off because they were making woo or what have you. And to the onlooker this person is not in salah. it looks he's getting ready to make salah for instance that person's salah will now be invalidated with that excessive movement and this all roots back to a principle in that the scholars all agree on and that is which is a can of worms that we're not going to open right now but that is where they get this from now one we could have one last question inshallah on the im that he misses the four and stand for number five.

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Salah.

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So what are the ruling? Is it a valid salah or the individual has to come and do the again? No. The prayer is valid and even if the im does not do the people behind him don't do in is only made when the im makes sujud the prostration of forgetfulness. What if a person forgets to make the prostration of forgetfulness? Right? The prayer is valid. Seven, even if it is left off intentionally in the correct opinion, will not invalidate a person's prayer. I'll repeat that sujud even if left off intentionally, knowingly will not invalidate a person's prayer. Will it diminish it? Yes. Diminish the reward? Yes. Have they done something wrong? Yes. But it will not invalidate a person's prayer because it is not an integral part of salah. Therefore, let's say the imam makes a mistake or let's say you are praying behind the im and you make a mistake that warrants and if you were praying alone you would have made sujud do you make sujud behind the im after the answer is no. If you are being led by someone else in salah and the only instance in which you would make as being led would make sujud is if the im makes sujud. If he does not, you do not make sujud. And this goes back to a narration of the prophet Sam in a he says saiam the im is a guarantee for your prayer and the is entrusted with making. We don't have to double check the when he makes that that it was on time or he is in charge of that when he makes who and if he makes a mistake in the that mistake is not on us because he was entrusted with that and meaning in the im is a guarantee which means if you make a a mistake in your prayer but you're praying behind an im the im absorbs verbs that in the sense that your salah is valid as long as his salah is valid. Now notice we're talking about what? Mistakes. We're not talking about intentional, right? Intentionally leaving something off. Now there's another narration in a for instance he said sallallahu alaihi wasallam regarding the imams of prayer if they are correct then it is in your favor and theirs and if they make a mistake it is in your favor and against them that is upon them not upon the person being led in prayer. Okay. Alhamdulillah.