Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Question
My wife and I often pray together at home. What is the fiqh of being a follower? Being a lady, she is not accustomed to following. Therefore, she would like some advice.
Answer
I pray you are well.
When following, the prayer of a lady is fairly similar to her prayer on her own. What she needs to bear in mind are the following:
1. She cannot stand parallel to the imam. She should stand slightly behind him.
2. The movements of the imam must be followed immediately. When he moves to go into the standing, bowing, or prostrations she should do so as well without delay. The same for the salam at the end.
3. She should not recite any Quran – this includes the Fatiha and the additional sura. The imam’s recitation is sufficient.
4. She doesn’t say “sami‘a llahu li-man hamidah“ (Allah hears those who praise Him).
The rest of the prayer is the same as her own prayer in terms of movements and wordings. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]
The prayer is a gift and a means of great good for us. One example is mentioned in the hadith “When the imam says ‘amin’, say it too, for whoever’s ‘amin’ coincides with that of the angels, his past sins are forgiven.“ [Bukhari]
May Allah make the prayer a means of purification and ascension for us all.
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani