Following the Imam when he errs

Question: If one believes the imam is adding an extra cycle of prayer (raka) to the prayer, is it permissible to follow him in that?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

If one believes the imam is adding an extra cycle of prayer (raka) to the prayer, it is not permissible to follow him in that, and would in fact invalidate one’s prayer.

For example, if you were praying dhuhr and the imam got up for what he thought was the fourth cycle of prayer (raka), but you thought that it was an extra fifth cycle of prayer, then one would simply sit an wait for him to finish, or leave the group prayer. If you followed him in what you thought was wrong, then your prayer would be nullified (batila), and you would have to pray again. (Bushra al Karim, Ba Ishn)

The exception here would be when a large number of other followers (hadd al tawatur) agree with the imam, such that it is clear that one’s belief is wrong. (Bushra al Karim, Ba Ishn)

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language