Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
If reading behind the Imam in the last rakat, the imam says salam, and one is still on tashahhud, can I follow the Imam with salam, or do I have to complete the durud and ending dua? Is the durud compulsory?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
If the Imam is performing a prostration of forgetfulness, one should complete one’s Tashahhud only. The durud is sunna, and not compulsory, then follow the Imam thereafter, turning his head to the right. The Imam will then perform two extra prostrations and sit in a second final sitting, wherein he recites tashahhud, durud, and closing dua, followed by two salams to end the prayer. [‘Ala’ al-Din ‘Abidin, al-Hadiyya al-‘Ala’iyya]
I hope this helps.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied within UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete hifz of Quran in India, then enrolled into an Islamic seminary in UK where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for a number of years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh and many other Islamic sciences to both children and adults onsite and online extensively in UK and Ireland. He was teaching at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in UK with his wife. His personal interest is love of books and gardening.