The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
إِنَّهُ مَنْ قَامَ مَعَ الإِمَامِ حَتَّى يَنْصَرِفَ كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ قِيَامَ لَيْلَةٍ
Whoever prays Qiyam with the Imam until he finishes, Allah will record for him the Qiyam of a (whole) night.
[Saheeh Nasai no. 1604]
So it is recommended to pray behind the Imam until he finishes, however, should one pray if the Imam makes noises in the qunut of witr like we see nowadays? The Imam reciting in a melodious voice and crying very loudly is considered against the Sunnah. However, the Salaf still preferred that the person completes the Salah with him.
سَمِعْتُ أَحْمَدَ، وَقِيلَ لَهُ: أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ الرَّجُلُ مَعَ النَّاسِ فِي رَمَضَانَ أَوْ وَحْدَهُ؟ قَالَ: يُصَلِّي مَعَ النَّاسِ، وَسَمِعْتُهُ أَيْضًا، يَقُولُ: يُعْجِبُنِي أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ مَعَ الْإِمَامِ وَيُوتِرَ مَعَهُ، قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ إِذَا قَامَ مَعَ الْإِمَامِ حَتَّى يَنْصَرِفَ كُتِبَ لَهُ بَقِيَّةُ لَيْلَتِهِ» قُلْتُ لِأَحْمَدَ ” الْإِمَامُ يُصَلِّي التَّرَاوِيحَ بِالنَّاسِ وَنَاسٌ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ يُصَلُّونَ لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ؟ فَقَالَ: لَا يُعْجِبُنِي، يُعْجِبُنِي أَنْ يُصَلُّوا مَعَ الْإِمَامِ، فَقِيلَ لِأَحْمَدَ، وَأَنَا أَسْمَعُ: يُوتِرُ الْإِمَامُ بِثَلَاثٍ، أُوتِرُ أَوْ أَنْصَرِفُ، فَأُوتِرُ وَحْدِي؟ قَالَ: تُوتِرُ مَعَهُ، قِيلَ: يَضِجُّونَ فِي الْقُنُوتِ؟ قَالَ: أَوْتِرْ مَعَهُ، قِيلَ لِأَحْمَدَ، وَأَنَا أَسْمَعُ: يُؤَخِّرُ الْقِيَامَ، يَعْنِي: التَّرَاوِيحَ إِلَى آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ؟ قَالَ: لَا، سُنَّةُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ “.
وَكَانَ أَحْمَدُ يَقُومُ مَعَ النَّاسِ حَتَّى يُوتِرَ مَعَهُمْ وَلَا يَنْصَرِفُ حَتَّى يَنْصَرِفَ الْإِمَامُ، شَهِدْتُهُ شَهْرَ رَمَضَانَ كُلَّهُ يُوتِرُ مَعَ إِمَامِهِ إِلَّا أُرَى لَيْلَةً لَمْ أَحْضِرْ
Abu Dawood said: I heard Ahmad: It was said to him: Should a man pray with the people in Ramadan or alone? He said: He prays with the people. And I heard him also say: It pleases me to pray with the Imam and make witr with him, the Prophet (ﷺ) said: verily if man stands with the Imam until he finishes it is written for him the remaining of the night“.
I said to Ahmad: the Imam leads the people in taraweeh and the people in the masjid pray by themselves? He said: No, it pleases me, it pleases me that they pray with the Imam, so it was said to Ahmad, and I heard: the Imam prays witr with three, so should I pray witr or leave and pray witr by myself? He said: you pray witr with him. It was said: they (the Imams) din (a loud, confused noise) in the Qunut? He said: pray witr with him. It was said to Ahmad and I heard: the imam delays the qiyaam ie. the taraweeh until end of the night? he said: no, the sunnah of the Muslims is more beloved to me.
Ahmad used to stand with the people until he made witr with them and he did not leave until the Imam left. I witnessed him all of the month Ramadan making witr with his Imam except one night he was not present.
[Masaail Imam Ahmad by Abu dawood no. 437-438]
What if the there is more than one Imam?
Shaikh Ibn ul-‘Uthaymeen rahimahullah was asked:
“However, are two Imams in one Masjid each considered independent or is each one a successor of the other? That which is apparent is the second and that the first one is a successor of the second completing it for him. So upon this, if a masjid has two Imams, then these two Imams are considered at the level of one Imam. So a person remains until the second Imam leaves. This is because the second completes the prayer of the first”
[Majmoo’ Fatawa wa Rasaail (14/207)]
Lastly, if the Imam prays twenty do we pray them all with him to fall under the above Hadith or should we pray eight an leave? Some Scholars argue like Shaikh Ibn ul’-Uthaymeen rahimahullah that you finish with him. Where as others, like Shaikh Muqbil rahimahullah, mention that one should just pray eight and pray witr at home.
Question: If I pray in a masjid where the Imam prayers twenty rakaat, should I complete twenty with him following the Imam or should I pray with him eight rakat and pray witr alone then leave?
Answer: I advise that you pray eight rakat and pray witr alone. Following the Sunnah is more deserving, for verily the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
صَلُّوا كَمَا رَأَيْتُمُونِي أُصَلِّي
And pray as you have seen me pray
[Reported al-Bukhari no. 6008]
[Taken from: Fasaaih wan-Nasaaih pg. 86]
And Allah Knows Best
Translated by
Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
