Racing
The Imam In Prayer: An Imam Is Appointed So That He Is
Followed
Islamic Perspectives - Muslim JournalsArab News
& Information - By Adil Salahi
Congregational prayer is one of the most important
aspects of Islamic worship. It helps to bring people
in the same locality together, so that they would know
each other and establish friendly and close relations.
Moreover, their frequent meetings at prayer times give
them a chance to learn more of one another’s work and
what they can provide. Thus, they will seek to get
what they need from within their own neighbourhood.
Furthermore, congregational prayer instils discipline
within the community. When people takes instructions
from the imam during worship, which is a bond between
each individual and God, they learn the value of
discipline in their lives.
Stressing the importance of discipline in prayer, the
Prophet (peace be upon him) says, as quoted by Abu
Hurayrah: “When a person lifts his head before the
imam, does he not fear that God will make his head
like that of a donkey, or that He will make him look
like a donkey?” (Related by al-Bukhari).
This is the strongest form used by the Prophet to
emphasise the importance of following the imam in all
actions, and not to go ahead of him. The Prophet said:
“I am your imam. Therefore, do not go before me in
bowing, prostration or standing up.” He also said: “An
imam is appointed so that he is followed.” However,
people are often impatient. When the Prophet noticed
that his admonition in this respect has not given its
desired results, he stated the hadith we are
discussing, warning of a stern punishment on the Day
of Judgement. Thus, a person who races the imam in
prayer runs the risk of having a changed shape marking
him out among all people. We should emphasise here
that this is merely a warning, and it does not follow
that everyone who does not abide by the order to
follow the imam will be changed in form. Such a
person, however, exposes himself to this risk.
A question arises here about the validity of the
prayer when a person moves ahead of the imam in a
congregational prayer. Scholars have expressed
different views, going into considerable details. They
agree that it is forbidden to precede the imam in any
action. Everyone in the congregation is required to
follow the imam, not to precede him. It is indeed
reprehensible to do any movement or say any words of
the prayer at the same time as the imam, except for
the first takbeer, which signals the beginning of the
prayer, and the salam, which signals its end. A person
who says these phrases at the same time as the imam
makes his whole prayer invalid.
What worshippers in the congregation are required to
do is to follow the imam. When he signals a move, they
make it shortly after he has signaled it, and before
he has gone to the next move. If a person delays
moving until the imam has completed the next action
and went into the following one, then that person’s
prayer is invalid. To explain: We stand to read the
Quran, then bow, then stand up again, then go into
prostration. If the imam bows and stands up while
someone in the congregation remains standing because
he wants to finish his recitation, then that person’s
prayer is invalid. If he bows when the imam is still
bowing, his prayer remains valid but his action is not
correct. He should follow the imam.
A violation of this instruction that is often done by
worshipper occurs in the last prostration. The imam
signals moving to the last sitting for tashahhud. Yet
we see people remaining in prostration for a whole
minute or longer. This is absolutely wrong and they
run the risk of making their prayer invalid.
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