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Takbirs, Recitation, and Followers

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Qibla.com

Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

When I’m praying behind an imam and the imam says the takbir(s), including the first one to enter the prayer, I usually repeat them to myself quietly (i.e.. loud enough for myself to hear)–is this o.k.? ….

Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Walaikum assalam,

This, this is completely okay. The follower (= the one who is praying behind an imam) does not recite the Qur’an (because it is prohibitively disliked to do so, in both loud and silent prayers), however, it remains a confirmed sunna for them to say all the invocations of the prayer, including the takbirs (= saying Allahu Akbar), the tasbihs (= saying Subhana Rabbi’al Adheem in bowing and Subhana Rabbi’al A`la in prostration), the tashahhud, blessings on the Prophet, and supplication before the final salams.

When praying alone, one must recite the Qur’an. You are correct that in defining the quiet recitation as being such that you can hear yourself. Note, however, that this is the more correct of two opinions. There is a sound opinion, which some major Hanafis took, that the minimum valid quiet recitation is such that you pronounce the letters (i.e. move your mouth and tongue to produce the letters), even if no sound is produced. This was the opinion of Imam al-Karkhi, one of the great relatively early imams of our school. al-Kasani, in his Bada’i` al-Sana’i`, which some called the most unique and marvellous of legal works ever written, chose this opinion. Therefore, though it is a minority opinion, it is certainly valid to act upon it when it comes to avoiding making up past prayers, as Shaykh Adib al-Kalls of Damascus says (as reported to me by Shaykh Hassaan al-Hindi). Many major ulema of India and Pakistan say that the fatwa in our times is on this latter position, in defining the minimally valid recitation, as Mawlana Mufti Mahmoud Usmani told us while he was here in Amman earlier this year.

Also, when praying with the imam, and I follow his salaams-I also say mine to myself, is this o.k.?

Yes. It is best to follow the imam in giving salams (and the takbirs) right as he gives his salams, while being careful to stay behind the imam. [Ibn Abidin, Hashiya]

And Allah knows best.

Wassalam,

Faraz Rabbani
Amman, Jordan.

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