Question
During the Friday prayer, the microphone stopped working in the ladies section while the imam was in his first Rak’ah. Some women completed the Salah on their own. Is the Salah of these women valid?
Answer
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
If a person is performing Salah in congregation behind an Imam, it is obligatory that he/she follows the Imam in all the various postures of Salah. It is not allowed for a Muqtadi (follower) to advance the Imam in any action of Salah nor is it allowed for him to delay an action performed by the Imam.
For example, if a person were to perform Ruku’ or Sajdah before the Imam then that Ruku’ or Sajdah will not be counted and subsequently the Salah will be invalid. If however, the Muqtadi precedes the Imam in these actions but he waits in that position until the Imam performs it then it will be counted. This will ensure the participation of the Muqtadi in the actions of the Imam.
It is highly reprehensible for the Muqtaqi to unduly delay in performing Ruku’ or Sajdah. If however, he performs it within the Salah of the Imam [i.e. before the imam completes] his Salah [of the Muqtadi] will be valid. For example, the Imam performed, Ruku’ and Sajdah of the first Rak’ah then stood for the second Rak’ah while the Muqtaqi for some reason did not participate in the Ruku’ and Sujood of the Imam. If the Muqtaqi were to perform these missed-actions [Ruku and Sujood] before the Tasleem of the Imam, the Salah of the Muqtadi will be valid.
The Jurists have differentiated between preceding the Imam in an action and delaying an action performed by the Imam. Both are impermissible except that the former is not considered while the latter is.[1]
Based on this, the Salah of those women who continued their own will only be valid if their Ruku and Sujood were done after the Imam. If however, they completed before the completion of the Imam, their Salah will be invalid.
In conclusion, the Salah of all the women should be repeated [i.e. the Qadhaa of Zuhr should be performed] as it was uncertain as to whether their actions [Ruku and Sujood] were performed before or after the actions of the Imam.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Kaleem Muhammad
Darul Iftaa, Jaamia Madinatul Uloom (Trinidad)
[1] درر الحكام شرح غرر الأحكام (1/ 124)
(قوله لوجود المشاركة في جزء) تعليل لقولنا لا لقول زفر فكان ينبغي تقديمه أو ذكر تعليل زفر بعده وهو أن ما أتى به قبل فراغ الإمام غير معتد به
الفتاوى التاتارخانية(2/ 175)
رجل صلى مع الامام أربع ركعات و سبق إمامه في كل ركوع و سجد السجدات كلها مع الامام:إن هذا الرجل صلى ركعة بغير سجدتين فيصلى سجدتين و ثلاث ركعات لإن الركوع قبل لا يعتد به فكان سجوده مع الامام فبل الركوع فلا يعتد به فبقيت الركوعات بغير سجدات فلا يجوز هــ
المحيط البرهاني في الفقه النعماني (2/ 224)
وفي «متفرقات أبي جعفر» : أن رجلاً جاء والإمام لم يسجد بعد فكبر، ولم يشاركه في الركوع حتى رفع الإمام رأسه، قال: يسجد معه على سبيل المتابعة، قال: ولهذا قلنا: إن الرجل إذا أدرك الإمام وهو قائم، فكبر وركع الإمام ولم يركع هو معه، وسجد الإمام ولم يسجد هو معه أيضاً ولم يتابعه حتى تفرد وأدى الركوع والسجدتين جميعاً في حالة الانفراد، لا تفسد صلاته، وكذلك لو جاء والإمام راكع، فلم يتابعه في الركوع حتى رفع رأسه ثم تفرد بالركوع جازت صلاته.