Prompting the imam
Question
A man was leading others in prayer and he absentmindedly omitted a word from the chapter he was reciting after al-Fatiha. In such a case, is it obligatory for a congregant to prompt the imam and correct him? If so, when and how is this to be done?
Answer
Prompting the imam, which is permissible, may either include correcting a mistake in the his recitation or cuing him to assist him in his recitation. The legal premise for this permissibility is the report of Miswar Ibn Yazid, the Maliki scholar, who said that once a man brought the Prophet's attention to a verse he had omittedduring his recitation in prayers. The Prophet In the first hadith, when the Prophet It was reported that Abu Hanifa considered it disliked to prompt the imam. He based his opinion on the hadith narrated by Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) who reported that the Messenger of Allah Ibn Qudama wrote in Al-Mughni (1/711): "There is no objection to prompting the imam in either an obligatory or voluntary prayer if he hesitates or makes a mistake in his recitation." This opinion was reported from 'Uthman, 'Ali and Ibn 'Umar. Some of the tabi'in (those who were born after the Prophet's death and were contemporaries of his Companions) such as Al-Hasan and Ibn Sireen. Ibn Mas'ud, a Companion of the Prophet The ruling
There is no harm in prompting the imam if he forgets a word or verse during his recitation of other than al-Fatiha, provided he does this without causing any commotion in the mosque. On the other hand, it is obligatory upon the imam's followers to prompt him if he falters during his recitation of al-Fatiha since it is one of the pillars of prayer. This is similar to when one forgets to bow or prostrate and is reminded of his omission by another saying 'Subhan Allah'. This is based on the words of the Prophet Allah the Almighty knows best. |