"Abu Musa led us in prayer and when he was sitting, a man from among the people entered and said: 'Prayer is based on righteousness and is always mentioned alongside Zakah (in the Qur'an).' When Abu Musa had said the Salam, he turned to the people and said: 'Which of you spoke these words?' The people kept quiet. Then he said: 'O Hittan, perhaps you said it?' He said: 'No, but I was afraid that you would rebuke me for it.' He said:'The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught us our prayer and Sunnah prayers, and he said: The Imam is appointed to be followed, so when he says the Takbir, say the Takbir; when he says"Not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger, nor of those who went astray," say Amin, and Allah will respond to you; when he rises up from bowing and says, 'Sami' Allalhu liman hamidah (Allah hears those who praise Him), say 'Rabbana lakal-hamd (Our Lord, toYou be praise),' and Allah will hear you; when he prostrates, prostrate, and when he sits up, sit up. The Imam should prostrate before youdo and sit up before you do.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'This makes up for that.'"
The Book of Leading the Prayer (Al-Imamah) - Sunan an-Nasa'i 830
This narration from Sunan an-Nasa'i contains profound teachings regarding congregational prayer etiquette and the proper relationship between the imam and congregation.
Context and Incident Analysis
The incident begins with Abu Musa al-Ash'ari leading prayer when an attendee makes a remark about prayer and zakah being linked in the Qur'an. This interruption during prayer demonstrates the importance of maintaining proper decorum in salah.
Abu Musa's response after completing the prayer shows his wisdom in addressing the matter without disrupting the prayer itself, teaching us that corrections should be made at appropriate times.
Fundamental Principles of Following the Imam
The Prophet's teaching emphasizes that the imam is appointed to be followed in all prayer movements and recitations. This establishes the principle of tawqeefiyyah in prayer - that prayer must be performed exactly as taught by the Prophet.
The specific instructions include: saying takbir after the imam's takbir, saying amin after the imam's recitation of Surah al-Fatihah, and the proper responses during ruku' and standing positions.
Divine Response to Congregational Prayer
The hadith contains the remarkable promise that when the congregation says "amin" after the imam's recitation, Allah Himself responds to them. This highlights the spiritual significance of congregational prayer and the special divine attention it receives.
Similarly, when the congregation says "Rabbana lakal-hamd" after the imam's "Sami' Allalhu liman hamidah," Allah hears their praise, demonstrating the interactive nature of prayer between the creation and the Creator.
Practical Implementation
The instruction that "the imam should prostrate before you do and sit up before you do" establishes the proper sequence in prayer movements, ensuring the congregation follows rather than precedes the imam.
The concluding statement "this makes up for that" refers to the comprehensive nature of these instructions - that following them properly compensates for any minor discrepancies in prayer, ensuring its validity and completeness.