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What is Recommended for the Imam (Prayer Leader) to Do
Author : Dr. Mufti Lo`ai Somay`at
Date Added : 12-02-2024

What is Recommended for the Imam (Prayer Leader) to Do

 

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

 

In congregational prayer, the imam (One leading the prayer) holds a crucial role as one of its essential pillars, without which the prayer cannot be performed. Therefore, Islam has stipulated conditions that must be met by the imam for the prayer to be valid. Additionally, there are recommended actions for the imam that contribute to the perfection of the prayer. Some of these include:

 

First: It is recommended for the imam to take greater care in his appearance and attire than what is recommended for the followers, because he is a role model. Imam Al-Shafi'i (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'It is preferable for the imam to have a better appearance and attire, and to wear thicker garments when it's cold." [Al-Mawardi, Al-Hawi Al-Kabir, Vol. 2/P. 454]."

 

Second: It is recommended for both the imam and the followers not to stand up for prayer until the mu'adhin completes the iqamah. Once the mu'adhin completes it, they should stand up for prayer without delay. [An-Nawawi, Al-Majmu', Vol. 3/P. 253].

 

Third: It is recommended for the imam not to start the prayer with takbir until he looks to the right and left and says, 'Straighten your rows,' as narrated by Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) used to say, 'Straighten your rows, for straightening the rows is part of establishing the prayer.'[1] An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 'It is recommended for the imam not to start the prayer with takbir until the rows are straightened, and he should command them to do so while turning to the right and left. When the mu'adhin finishes the iqamah, people stand up and busy themselves with straightening the rows.'" [An-Nawawi, Rawdat At-Talibeen, Vol. 1/P. 369].

 

Fourth: It is recommended for the imam to make the takbir aloud in a manner that the followers behind him can hear him, and he should not make it silently. This is to avoid confusion among them regarding whether the takbir has been made or not. It is preferred for him to make the takbir aloud so that those behind him can hear. It is also recommended for the imam to make the statement 'Sami'a Allahu liman hamidah' (Allah hears whoever praises Him) aloud so that the followers can hear it and know the transition. Similarly, he makes the takbir aloud and softly says 'Rabbana lakal hamd' (Our Lord, to You is due all praise), because he does this when standing from Ruku`, so he whispers it like the glorification in bowing and prostration." [An-Nawawi, Al-Majmu, Vol.' 3/P. 418].

 

Fifth: It is recommended for the imam to pause briefly after reciting Al-Fatiha, allowing the followers to recite Al-Fatiha themselves.[2].

 

Sixth: It is recommended for the imam to loudly say 'Ameen' after completing the recitation of Al-Fatiha in congregational prayers. [Al-Juwayni, Nehayat Al-Matlab, Vol. 2/ P.150].

 

Seventh: It is recommended for the imam to shorten the prayer, ensuring that it does not become burdensome for the congregation while completing its actions. An-Nawawi stated in [Rawdat At-Talibeen, Vol. 1/ P.342] : 'It is recommended for the imam to shorten the prayer without omitting any of its obligatory acts. If the congregation is content with prolongation and consists only of those who prefer it, then there is no harm in prolonging the prayer.' Additionally, it is recommended for the imam to recite longer in the first rak'ah of each prayer compared to the second rak'ah, and this is more emphasized in the Fajr prayer. [Al-Mostadhiri, Helyatul Ulama`, Vol.2/ P.94].

Eighth: It is recommended for the imam to be deliberate in reciting the supplications (adhkar) without unnecessarily prolonging them, so that the followers behind him can properly recite their prescribed supplications. Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) said: 'When one of you leads the people in prayer, let him make it short, for among them are the weak, the sick, and the elderly. But when one of you prays alone, let him make it as long as he wishes.' (Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 1/ P. 142).

 

Ninth, It is recommended for the imam to intend in the first tasleem (salutation) to greet those on his right, including the angels, the Muslim jinn, and humans, and in the second tasleem to greet those on his left, including them. The follower (mu'mum) should intend likewise." [Al-Nawawi: Al-Majmu', vol. 3/P. 478].

 

Tenth: It is recommended for the imam, after making the tasleem (salutation), to stand up from his place if there are no women behind him. This is to avoid confusion for himself or those behind him about whether he has completed his prayer or not, and to prevent a stranger from entering and mistakenly thinking that the imam has not completed the prayer and following him. However, if there are women behind him, it is recommended for him to remain seated after making the tasleem, and for the men to stay in their places briefly, engaging in a minor activity such as remembrance of Allah, until the women leave, ensuring that those rushing in their movement from the men do not reach the end of the rows of women." [Al-Nawawi, Al-Majmu', Vol. 3/P. 489].

 

Eleventh: It is recommended for the imam and others, after completing the prayer, to make supplication (du'a). It is also recommended for the imam not to single himself out in supplication, as the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) said: "There are three things which are unlawful for anyone to do. A man must not act as imam for others in prayer and make a supplication for himself excluding them, for if he does that he has acted treacherously towards them. No one must look inside a house before asking permission to enter, for if he does so he has acted treacherously towards [its inhabitants]. And no one should pray while retaining urine, but should first relieve himself." [Al-Sharbini, Mugni Al-Muhtaj, Vol. 1/P. 369], and this hadith was narrated by Al-Tirmidhi and graded as hasan (good). [Sunan Al-Tirmidhi, Vol. 2/p. 189].

 

Twelfth: It is recommended for the imam, if he feels someone has entered the mosque while he is in the bowing position (ruku'), to wait for him." Al-Nawawi said: "The correct view is the recommendation of waiting unconditionally with the condition that the person entering the mosque is inside the mosque while waiting, not to prolong the wait excessively, and intending by it to seek closeness to Allah, not to favor or distinguish the entrant. This is the meaning of their saying: 'Not to distinguish between one who is inside and one who enters.' The correct view is the recommendation of waiting (after the final tashahhud) with the aforementioned conditions, because it enables joining the congregation, just as catching the ruku' enables catching the unit (rak'ah)." [Al-Nawawi, Al-Majmoo', Vol. 4/P. 230].

 

Thirteenth: It is recommended for the imam to move from his place if he intends to perform a voluntary (nafilah) prayer, as this increases the number of prostration places, which will testify for him." [Ash-Shirbini, Mughni al-Muhtaj, Vol. 1/P. 394].

 

Fourteenth: It is recommended for the imam, if he is unable to pray while standing due to illness or disability, to appoint someone to lead the prayer standing in his place." [Al-Mawardi, Al-Hawi al-Kabir, Vol. 2/P. 306].

 

Fifteenth: It is recommended for the Imam to delay the prostration of recitation in the silent prayer until he completes it so as not to distract those following him, and it is allowed for him to offer the prostaration of recoitation shortly after ending the prayer. [Al-Ramli, Nihayat al-Muhtaj, Vol. 2/P. 100].

Sixteenth: It is recommended for the imam or scholar, if they are delayed from their companions or if something happens to them that they believe might inconvenience them, to apologize to them and say: "You have a valid reason in this regard, such as so and so," or "I had an excuse," or something similar. [Al-Nawawi, Sharh Muslim, Vol. 5/P. 139].

 

Seventeenth: It is recommended for the imam to recite Surah Al-Jumu'ah in the first Rak'ah of the Friday prayer, and in the second Rak'ah, to recite Surah Al-Munafiqun. Al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "If he forgets to recite Surah Al-Jumu'ah in the first Rak'ah, he should combine it with Surah Al-Munafiqun in the second Rak'ah." He also said in the old opinion: "In the first Rak'ah, he should recite Surah Al-Ala, and in the second Rak'ah, Surah Al-Ghashiyah." [Al-Ghazali, Al-Waseet Fi Al-Madhhab, Vol. 2/P. 293].

 

 In conclusion, We ask Allah the Almighty for success in what He loves and is pleased with, in righteous speech and action in His obedience, and that we may be among those accepted by Him, the Glorious.

 

 

 

[1] Narrated by Al-Bukhari in Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 1, p. 145, Hadith No. 723. Also reported by Muslim in Sahih Muslim, Vol. 1, p. 324, Hadith No. 433.

 

[2] It is mentioned in the commentary of Al-Bajirmi on Al-Khatib (2/65): "The required pauses in prayer are six: between entering the state of Ihram and the opening supplication, between it and seeking refuge (Ta`woz), between it and reciting 'Bismillah', between the end of Al-Fatiha and 'Ameen' and between 'Ameen' and the recitation of the Surah if one recites it, and between its end and the Takbir for bowing, and if one does not recite a Surah then between 'Ameen' and bowing."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on sacrificing a castrated animal or one with a missing tail?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is permissible to sacrifice a castrated sheep; as it has been established that the Prophet (peace be upon him) sacrificed:
 
"...two large, fat, horned, white-and-black, castrated rams (Mawju'ayn—meaning having crushed testicles)." [Narrated by Ibn Majah in his Sunan].
 
It is not permissible to sacrifice an animal that is missing its tail, or udder due to being cut off. This is in contrast to an animal that was naturally born without a tail, or udder; such an animal is valid for sacrifice. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on performing the night prayer (*qiyām al-layl*) between the first and second adhān of Fajr? And which is better: delaying the prayer until shortly before the Fajr adhān, or performing it earlier than that?

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
The time for night prayer (qiyām al-layl) begins after the Maghrib prayer and lasts until the second adhān of Fajr. The best time for it is the last third of the night, and best of all are the fourth and fifth sixths of the night. If the night is divided into two halves, the latter half is better.
Whoever intends to pray at night is encouraged to delay the Witr until he has prayed the night prayer. If he knows that he will not wake up, it is better for him to pray and perform Witr before sleeping, so that he does not miss both the night prayer and the Witr.
It is stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vpl.1/p.462): “I say: The voluntary prayer of the night, that is, the absolute voluntary prayer (al-nafl al-muṭlaq), is better than the absolute voluntary prayer of the day, because of the report in Muslim: ‘The best prayer after the obligatory prayer is the night prayer.’ In another narration of his: ‘In the night there is an hour that no Muslim man meets while asking Allah for any good of this world and the next except that He gives it to him, and that is every night.’ It is also because the night is a time of heedlessness. I restricted the voluntary prayer to the absolute kind following the commentator, although what the ḥadīth and the underlying meaning require is that the night rawātib be preferred over the day rawātib, since the jurists preferred the two rakʿahs of Fajr over everything except Witr. The middle of the night is better than its two ends if it is divided into thirds, because heedlessness is greatest then and worship is hardest. If he wishes to pray during some third, the best is the fourth and fifth sixths, based on the ḥadīth in the two Ṣaḥīḥs: ‘The most beloved prayer to Allah the Exalted is the prayer of Dāwūd: he would sleep half the night, stand for a third of it, and sleep for a sixth.’ Then the latter part is better than the first if he divides it into two halves, because of the saying of Allah the Exalted: ‘And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness’ [al-Dhāriyāt: 18], and the report of the two Shaykhs: ‘Our Lord, Blessed and Exalted, descends,’ meaning His command descends, ‘to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains, and says: Who calls upon Me, that I may answer him? Who asks of Me, that I may give him? Who seeks My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?’”
It is also stated in ʿUmdat al-Sālik (p. 60): “It is better to perform it [the Witr] immediately after the sunnah of ʿIshāʾ, unless he has tahajjud, in which case it is better to delay it so that he performs Witr after it. If he performs Witr and then wishes to pray tahajjud, he prays two rakʿahs at a time and does not repeat the Witr, nor does he need to cancel it with a single rakʿah before the tahajjud. It is recommended that he not deliberately pray after it.”
Qiyām al-layl is a term applied to any prayer performed at night. Tahajjud, on the other hand, refers to the night prayer that follows sleep, whether it is prayed after Maghrib or after ʿIshāʾ, or the prayer performed after ʿIshāʾ without sleep. On this basis, the Witr is also called tahajjud, since it is only prayed after ʿIshāʾ.
It is stated in al-Majmūʿ (Vol.4/p.84): “The sound position, as stated in al-Umm and al-Mukhtaṣar, is that the Witr is called tahajjud.”
It is stated in Nihāyat al-Zayn (Vol.1/p.114): “Among the absolute voluntary prayers is qiyām al-layl. If it is performed after sleep, even during the time of Maghrib and after having prayed ʿIshāʾ early (taqdīman), it is called tahajjud.”
And it is stated in Ḥāshiyat al-Bujayrimī ʿalā al-Khaṭīb (Vol.1/p.418): “His statement: ‘(the night prayer)’: the genitive construction (iḍāfah) carries the sense of fī, meaning a prayer in the night. His statement: ‘(it would be more fitting)’: the reason it is more fitting is that the night prayer includes both tahajjud and other prayers.” And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on eating or drinking forgetfully while observing the kaffarah fasting?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
If someone eats or drinks out of forgetfulness while fasting, it is simply that Allah has fed them and given them drink. Their fast is not broken by this; rather, they should continue fasting. This ruling applies whether the fast is an obligatory one (like Ramadan), a make-up fast (Qada), an expiation (Kaffarah), or a voluntary (Nafal) fast. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

How does one with a continuous condition (like urinary incontinence or non-menstrual vaginal bleeding - mustahada) perform ablution?

A person with a continuous condition must do three things:
1. Not perform ablution except after the prayer time has entered.
2. Change the bag or diaper placed to reduce the flow of urine or blood after the prayer time enters, wash the private part from blood or urine, and perform ablution immediately.
3. Perform the actions of ablution in immediate succession, then pray immediately without delay, unless he intends to pray with the congregation.
It is not permissible for a person with a continuous condition to combine two obligatory prayers with one ablution, as he must perform ablution for each obligatory prayer, even if making it up (qada'). And Allah the Almighty knows best.

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