The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) fell down from a horse and his right side was grazed. We went to him to inquire after his health when the time of prayer came. He led us in prayer in a sitting posture and we said prayer behind him sitting, and when he finished the prayer hesaid: The Imam is appointed only to be followed; so when he recites takbir, you should also recite that; when he prostrates, you should also prostrate; when he rises up, you should also rise up, and when he said" God listens to him who praises Him," you should say:" Our Lord, to Thee be the praise," and when he prays sitting, all of you should pray sitting.
The Book of Prayers - Sahih Muslim 411a
This narration from Sahih Muslim recounts a significant incident where the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) led prayer while sitting due to injury, establishing important principles of congregational prayer leadership.
Circumstances of the Prayer
The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) sustained an injury from falling off a horse, grazing his right side. Despite this physical discomfort, he maintained his commitment to leading the prayer when its time arrived.
This demonstrates the Prophet's dedication to prayer even in difficult circumstances and shows that physical disability does not prevent one from leading congregational prayer if capable of performing the prayer correctly.
Principles of Following the Imam
The Prophet explicitly taught that "The Imam is appointed only to be followed," establishing the fundamental principle that congregants must synchronize their movements with the imam throughout the prayer.
When the imam recites takbir (Allahu Akbar), the congregation should likewise recite it. When he prostrates, the congregation prostrates. When he rises, the congregation rises - maintaining perfect coordination in prayer movements.
Response During Prayer
When the imam says "Sami' Allahu liman hamidah" (God listens to him who praises Him), the congregation responds with "Rabbana wa lakal hamd" (Our Lord, to Thee be the praise).
This specific response is prescribed during the transition from bowing (ruku') to standing position in prayer.
Prayer Posture Adaptation
The most significant ruling derived from this hadith: "When he prays sitting, all of you should pray sitting." This establishes that the congregation follows the imam's prayer posture.
If the imam prays sitting due to valid reason, the congregation must also pray sitting, even if they are physically capable of standing. This preserves the unity and synchronization of the congregational prayer.