Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
I was wondering when in congregational prayers and after the Adhan is said and the congregation gets up to pray sunnah can we start praying sunnah before the Imam does or does he have to give us permission to pray sunnah?
Answer:
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
I pray this finds you in the best of health and spirits.
There is no limitation that one can’t or shouldn’t begin one’s sunna prayers until the imam does–unless specific circumstances (such as limited time when travelling or at work, for example) would indicate consulting him.
And Allah alone gives success.
Faraz Rabbani