Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalamu Alaikum,

My first question,

can we follow a person in prayer, actually we don`t know him personally (imam) another question, If i am praying Sunnahth (after compulsory prayer) some body followed me (if he think I am praying compulsory prayer) at that time waht I can do, can I continue my sunnah prayer?

your valuable answer is awaited

Regards

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Form congregation

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: ….can we follow a person in prayer, actually we don`t know him personally (imam)

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 2527 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

The Prophet (saws) said: ‘Striving in the path of Allah (jihad) is incumbent on you along with every ruler, whether he is pious or impious; the prayer is obligatory on you behind every believer, pious or impious, even if he commits grave sins; the (funeral) prayer is incumbent upon every Muslim, pious and impious, even if he commits major sins.’

There is absolutely no condition in Shariah that one is required or obliged to personally know the ‘imam’ who is leading the prayer in congregation! One may join any congregational prayer one wishes, absolutely regardless of the ‘imam’ who is leading the prayer.

Your Question: ….If i am praying Sunnahth (after compulsory prayer) some body followed me (if he think I am praying compulsory prayer) at that time waht I can do, can I continue my sunnah prayer?

Abu Said narrates that a man entered the Mosque, and the Prophet (saws) and his companions had finished praying their obligatory prayer in congregation. The Prophet (saws) said: "Who will give ‘sadaqah’ to him by praying with him in congregation?" So, a man from amongst the companions (who had already prayed) stood up and offered prayers in congregation with him.

Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and at-Tirmidhi

Yazid al-Aswad says: "We prayed dawn prayer (fajr) with the Messenger of Allah (saws) at Mina and two men came and stopped at their resting places. The Prophet (saws) ordered for them to be brought and they came shaking with fear. The Prophet (saws) said to them: 'What prevented you from praying with the people (in congregation)? ...Are you two not Muslims?' They answered: 'Certainly we are, O Messenger of Allah (saws), but we had already prayed in our resting place.' The Prophet (saws) told them: 'If you pray in your resting places and then come upon an imam (leading a congregation), pray again with him, and it will be ‘nafl’ prayers for you.'"

Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, An-Nasa'I, and at-Tirmidhi.

There is absolutely no condition or stipulation in Shariah that the intention of prayer of the ‘Imam’ leading the prayer, and the believer/s praying behind him must have the exact same intentions.

It is absolutely permissible and lawful for the ‘Imam’ to intend to pray ‘nafl’ or ‘sunnah’ optional prayer, and a believer praying behind him offering his ‘fard’ prayers; or the ‘imam’ intending to offer ‘fard’ prayer, and the believer praying behind him making intention to offer his ‘nafl’ prayer.

If you are in the state of offering your optional Sunnah or Nafl prayer, and a brother taps you slightly on your back and signals his intention to form a congregation with you, you should oblige to the request of your brother and continue the prayer you had intended….the brother who joined you in congregation will make his own intention and complete his prayer after you have declared the tasleems to signal the end of your prayer. You accommodating the congregation with your brother will be recorded as a deed of ‘sadaqah’ for you, Insha Allah.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan