Trust (amaanah) in Islam, Dought & clear, - * Ruling on the worshipper doing the actions of prayer at the same time as the imam

I was praying behind the imam in Maghrib prayer, and when he rose from
bowing, I rushed to rise from bowing and I do not know whether I did
that at the same time as him or shortly after him. Hence I do not know
whether the prayer was valid or not, because I read on your website
that this is makrooh, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) forbade that. But if the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) forbade it, how can it be makrooh? Isn't it more
likely that it would be haraam? I hope that you can clarify.
Praise be to Allah
Firstly:
Your prayer is valid:
1 –
because bowing or prostrating at the same time as the imam is makrooh,
and it does not invalidate the prayer, as we have explained in fatwa
no. 33790.
2 –
what appears to be the case from what you say is that you were
following the imam, and you started to rise from bowing after the imam
began to rise, so you were still basically following him, and you did
not go ahead of him or do the act at the same time as him. Therefore
uncertainty in this case does not count for anything, because
certainty cannot be dispelled by uncertainty.
Secondly:
The basic principle with regard to things forbidden by the Messenger
of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is that they are
to be understood as meaning that the thing forbidden is haraam.
Ibn an-Najjaar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If it says that something is forbidden (in a text of the Qur'an or
Sunnah), then it is understood to be haraam according to the four
imams and others. Ash-Shaafa'i (may Allah have mercy on him)
emphatically rejected the view of those who say that it means it is
makrooh.
End quote fromSharh al-Kawkab al-Muneer(3/83)
This is applicable whether the prohibition is mentioned in the texts
of the Qur'an or in the texts of the Sunnah.
That is because Allah, may He be exalted, has emphasised that it is
obligatory to shun and refrain from that which the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) forbids.
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him)) gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you,
abstain (from it), and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Severe in
punishment"
[al-Hashr 59:7].
That is because taking the fact that the Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) forbade something as proof that it is haraam is
the way of the believers, namely the Sahaabah and Taabi'een.
But the wording of something being forbidden may be regarded as
meaning that it is makrooh, and not haraam, if there is proof to that
effect. There may be many indications that the prohibition mentioned
in a text means that something is makrooh rather than haraam.
For more information, please see fatwa no. 184119
Thirdly:
With regard to the prohibition mentioned in the hadith of Abu
Hurayrah, in which it tells us that the Messenger of Allah (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "The imam has only been
appointed to be followed, so when he says takbeer then say takbeer,
and do not say takbeer until after he has said takbeer; and when he
bows then bow, and do not bow until after he has bowed; … and when he
prostrates then prostrate, and do not prostrate until he has
prostrated…" Narrated by Abu Dawood (603); classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani inIrwa' al-Ghaleel(2/121)
Some of the scholars looked at the wording of the hadith and
understood the prohibition according to the basic principle, i.e.,
that it indicates that it is haraam. Hence they said: It is obligatory
to follow the imam, and it is haraam to go ahead of him, and it is
also haraam to do the actions at the same time as him.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Adam al-Ethiopi said:
Al-'Allaamah ash-Shawkaani (may Allah have mercy on him) said,
commenting on the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with
him), in which it says: "When he says takbeer then say takbeer":
This indicates that the worshipper who is praying behind the imam
should not start to say the takbeer until after the imam has finished
saying it. The same applies to bowing, rising from bowing, and
prostrating. This is also indicated by his words in the second report:
"Do not say takbeer, do not bow, and do not prostrate", and by all the
other reports which mention this prohibition or forbidding.
There was a difference of opinion concerning that, as to whether it is
obligatory or recommended. What appears to be the case is that it is
obligatory, without differentiating between the opening takbeer
(takbeerat al-ihram) and others. End quote.
Al-Jaami' said:
What ash-Shawkaani said about the command meaning that it is
obligatory is the view that was regarded as most likely to be correct
by as-San'aani in his'Iddah, vol. 2, p. 241. It is also more likely to
be correct in my view. So it is haraam for the worshipper to go ahead
of his imam, or do the actions at the same time as him, because the
clear prohibition mentioned above in the report of Abu Dawood
indicates that it is haraam. And Allah knows best.
End quote fromSharh Sunan an-Nasaa'i(10/112-113)
Most of the scholars said that the prohibition on doing actions of the
prayer at the same time as the imam indicates that it is only makrooh.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
What is recommended is for the worshipper to start doing the actions
of prayer, such as moving up and down, after the imam has done them,
and it is makrooh for him to do them with the imam, according to most
of the scholars.
End quote fromal-Mughni(2/208)
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Doing the actions of prayer at the same time as the imam is makrooh,
and it was said that it is contrary to the Sunnah, but the more
correct view is that it is makrooh.
Examples of doing things at the same time as the imam include:
when the imam says "Allahu akbar" for rukoo' (bowing), and starts to
bow down, and you and the imam bow down at the same time. This is
makrooh because the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: "When he bows then bow, and do not bow until he has bowed."
In the case of sujood (prostration), when the imam says takbeer for
prostration, and you prostrate and you and the imam reach the floor at
the same time. This is makrooh because the Messenger (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Do not prostrate until he (the
imam) has prostrated."
Al-Bara' ibn 'Aazib said: After the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said "Sami'a Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears
those who praise Him)" [and we had all risen from bowing], not one of
us would bend his back (in order to prostrate] until the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went down in prostration,
then we would go down in prostration after him.
End quote fromash-Sharh al-Mumti'(4/189).
Perhaps the indication that the prohibition mentioned in the text –
concerning the one who does the actions of the prayer at the same time
as his imam – is makrooh and not haraam, in their view, is two things:
1.
That the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) denounced
in the strongest terms only the one who goes ahead of the imam.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Does not
one of you fear, if he raises his head before the imam, that Allah may
turn his head into the head of a donkey, or that Allah may change his
form into the form of a donkey?" Narrated by al-Bukhaari (691) and
Muslim (427). No such stern denunciation came concerning doing the
actions of prayer at the same time as the imam, so the ruling thereon
is less strict.
Ibn al-Mulaqqin (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The apparent meaning of the hadith indicates that it is haraam to go
ahead of the imam and the implicit meanings is that it is permissible
to do the actions of prayer at the same time as the imam. However,
there is no doubt that it is makrooh to do so, and it causes one to
miss out on the virtue of praying in congregation.
End quote fromal-I'laam bi Fawaa'id 'Umdat al-Ahkaam(2/552)
Some of the scholars objected to understanding this hadith as meaning
that it is permissible to do the actions of prayer at the same time as
the imam; rather when taken as a whole, the hadiths indicate that this
is not permissible.
Al-'Iraaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) said, in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah
that was narrated by Abu Dawood – "When he says takbeer then say
takbeer, and do not say takbeer until he has said takbeer"; and
concerning bowing: "Do not bow until he has bowed"; and concerning
prostration: "Do not prostrate until he has prostrated" – what this
additional material that was reported by Abu Dawood indicates is that
it is not possible that doing the actions with the imam could be
permissible
End quote fromTarh at-Tathreeb(2/330)
Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Abu Dawood added: "and do not bow until he has bowed, and do not
prostrate until he has prostrated." This is a good addition, which
rules out the possibility that what was meant by his words "when he
says takbeer then say takbeer" was doing it at the same time as the
imam.
But this report of Abu Dawood clearly rules out doing these actions
before the imam or at the same time as him. And Allah knows best.
End quote fromFath al-Baari(2/179)
In'Umdat al-Qaari(5/217) it says:
The report of Abu Dawood clearly rules out doing any of (the actions
of prayer) before the imam or at the same time as him. End quote.
2.
Perhaps the majority regarded the reason for this prohibition as being
the fact that it is obligatory to follow the imam and not differ from
him, as is explained at the beginning of the hadith of Abu Hurayrah
quoted above. It was also narrated by al-Bukhaari (722) and Muslim
(414) as follows: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: "The imam is appointed to be followed, so do not differ
from him."
The precise meaning of being an imam is that the imam is to be ahead
of those who are praying behind him both in the place where he stands
and in his actions and words.
If a person bows at the same time as the imam, for example, even
though he has not properly followed the imam, he has not completely
abandoned the idea of following, which is in contrast to the case of
one who bows before the imam. The latter has done an action that is
diametrically opposed to following the imam.
Hence doing actions at the same time as the imam is makrooh because it
detracts from the proper meaning of following the imam, which is
required, but it is not entirely contrary to it, unlike doing actions
before the imam, which is haraam because it is entirely contrary to
the idea of following the imam, which is obligatory.
And Allah knows best.