The Relationship Between the Imam’s Prayer and the One who Pray behind him in the Islamic Fiqh

This study aimed to explain the idea of Imama (leading others in congregational prayer), the related provisions and conditions, whether the Imam should receive payment in return for the time he spends leading others in prayer, in addition to explaining the minimum number that should be present so that congregational prayer can be established. The researcher also talked about the opinion of Islam regarding the repetition of congregational prayer in mosques which scholars tended to describe as detestable in fear of corruption; the The Holy Mosque (Al-Masjid al-Haram) in Mecca. The researcher also talked about the intention (Niyyah) and mentioned that the Imam must have the Niyyah of Imamah, in addition to I’timam for the others in the prayer only in the obligatory prayers (Fard prayer) and not in the Nawafil (voluntary or additional prayer) without assigning the Imam. Moreover, she described the importance of aligning the prayer rows, the establishment of rows one by one, and the punishment for those who do not complete or align the rows. Then she talked about when the Imam should recite out loud, that is in specific stage in the prayer, in addition to the importance of making the prayer easy and to take into consideration that people in the prayer have different health conditions. According to Sunnah, the Imam should wait for those who come late to the prayer before starting the prayer. Additionally, she explained what the scholars have agreed upon regarding the situation when the Imam assigns someone else to carry on the prayer on his behalf in case something prompt occurs that prevents him from continuing the prayer. The researcher also talked about the way people should stand behind the Imam, and that women must stand behind the man in the congregational prayer whether she is one of his Maharem (an unmarriageable kin) or an the marriageable woman. Then she explained the fact that it is undesired in Islam to have the Imam standing higher than the others in the prayer without a certain excuse, unless it is just a slight elevation. It is also allowed for men to perform prayer with the Imam in one floor while women perform theirs in another in order to prevent mixing between the two. Furthermore, the researcher explained the opinion of Islam regarding the behavior that many people do when going to the prayer that is when they tend to cross from among others who have already been to the mosque and are setting on the floor, and explained that this is now allowed in Islam. Additionally, the researcher explained that it is preferred for the Muslim to have a Sutrah (Sutrah is an object used by a person performing Salah as a barrier between himself and one passing in front of him) using any object; it is also allowed to take the back of another man as a Sutrah without his face. The Holy Mosque in Mecca has a unique characteristic since it is allowed for people to pass through the people performing Salah without the need for a Sutrah. The Imam has a Sutrah for himself and for the people behind him. In addition to this, the researcher explained sojod al saho for the Imam before Taslim (The concluding portion of Salah). In this case, all those in the prayer must prostrate with the Imam, excluding the cases that have been proven by evidence from the Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him, in which prostration is performed after the Taslim. She also mentioned the opinions of scholars regarding what the Imam must endure when he does not give time for the people behind him (Ma’momin) to recite Fatiha; this is a mistake that occurs in most mosques. Furthermore, the researcher explained the opinion of Islam regarding those who tend to compete with the Imam in performing Salah and explained that this invalidates his prayer, and if a person performs takbir al-ihram before the Imam does then his prayer is false. It is also undesired to go with the Imam step by step in prayer because the Imam must always be a little bit ahead of the Ma’momin since the essence of Imamah requires people to follow the Imam. Salah of those who intentionally become too late behind the Imam is false. Then she talked about the Masbouq (person who comes late) who fulfills ruk’a when he arrives at ruku’ on time. In this case, he must perform two takbirs, and if he performs only one while having in his intention that this is takbir al-ihram then his prayer is correct. What the person performs with the Imam is the last of his prayer, and what he compensates is the first of his prayer due to the difference in the number of ruk’a in the single prayer. Moreover, the researcher talked about women’s congregational prayer and the opinion of Islam regarding the alignment of women next to men in the prayer row. Then she explained the opinion of Islam regarding the Imamah of those performing Nawafil in the Fard prayer, and the opinion of Islam regarding the Imamah of those performing Fard in the Nawafil prayer. Finally, she talked about the opinion of Islam regarding the congregational prayer in modern means of transportation.