𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗮 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 (56)

Following the Imam When He Prays Sitting Sheikh Uthaymeen rahimahullah explains If the imam cannot stand and starts the prayer sitting, then those praying behind him should also pray sitting. This is based on the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: “The imam is appointed to be followed… and if he prays sitting, then pray sitting all of you.” One day the Prophet ﷺ prayed sitting while his companions were standing, and he signalled to them to sit down. This shows that the follower is commanded to follow the imam even in this situation. For the sake of following the imam, the follower may leave standing, even though standing is a pillar of the prayer. Similarly, a wajib act may be dropped if necessary to follow the imam. For example, if the imam forgets the first tashahhud and stands up, the follower stands with him, and the first tashahhud is dropped in that case. From this we also know that if the imam does not sit for the brief rest (Jalsat Al-istirāḥah), it is not prescribed for the follower to sit for it. Sitting for it would cause a kind of delay behind the imam. The follower is meant to move immediately after finishing the pillar he was in and follow the imam to the next position without delaying. In this way proper following of the imam is achieved. So: A pillar (standing) may be dropped if the imam prays sitting. An wajib act may be dropped if the imam forgets the first tashahhud. A recommended act may be dropped if the imam leaves it. For example, if the imam does not believe in Jalsat Al-istirāḥah, then the follower should follow him and not sit, even if the follower personally believes it is recommended. Someone may ask: what about raising the hands during prayer (when bowing, rising from bowing, or standing after the first tashahhud) if the imam does not raise his hands but the follower believes it is recommended? Should the follower also avoid raising his hands? The answer is: No, he should raise his hands. This does not count as opposing the imam, because he still bows, prostrates, and stands with him. It does not cause a delay or a different movement from the imam. Similarly, if the imam does not sit in tawarruk in the final tashahhud, or if he sits in tawarruk in every tashahhud before the taslīm, while the follower believes tawarruk should only be in the final tashahhud of a three- or four-rak‘ah prayer, then the follower may sit in the way he believes is the Sunnah. This is not considered opposition to the imam because it does not disrupt following him. In summary: if the imam starts the prayer sitting, then the followers should also pray sitting, because the Prophet ﷺ commanded this and practiced it when the companions stood behind him and he told them to sit. However, if the imam begins the prayer standing and then an illness or problem occurs during the prayer causing him to sit, then the followers continue praying standing. This is understood from the incident when the Prophet ﷺ came during his illness while Abu Bakr was leading the people in prayer standing. The Prophet ﷺ sat to the left of Abu Bakr and completed the prayer with them while they remained standing. The reason is that they started the prayer standing with their imam, and the illness happened during the prayer. So the imam sat, but they continued their prayer standing based on how the prayer began. Source: https://t.me/madrasatuna/5981