Ruling on the worshipper doing the actions of prayer at the same time as the imam

Praise
be to Allah

Firstly:

Your prayer is valid:

1 –

because bowing or prostrating at the same time as the imam is
makrooh, and it does not invalidate the prayer, as we have explained in
fatwa no. 33790.

2 –

what appears to be the case from what you say is that you
were following the imam, and you started to rise from bowing after the imam
began to rise, so you were still basically following him, and you did not go
ahead of him or do the act at the same time as him. Therefore uncertainty in
this case does not count for anything, because certainty cannot be dispelled
by uncertainty.

Secondly:

The basic principle with regard to things forbidden by the
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is that they
are to be understood as meaning that the thing forbidden is haraam.

Ibn an-Najjaar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

If it says that something is forbidden (in a text of the
Qur’an or Sunnah), then it is understood to be haraam according to the four
imams and others. Ash-Shaafa‘i (may Allah have mercy on him) emphatically
rejected the view of those who say that it means it is makrooh.

End quote from Sharh al-Kawkab al-Muneer (3/83)

This is applicable whether the prohibition is mentioned in
the texts of the Qur’an or in the texts of the Sunnah.

That is because Allah, may He be exalted, has emphasised that
it is obligatory to shun and refrain from that which the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) forbids.

Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):

“And
whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him)) gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it),
and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Severe in punishment”

[al-Hashr 59:7].

That is because taking the fact that the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade something as proof that it is haraam
is the way of the believers, namely the Sahaabah and Taabi‘een.

But the wording of something being forbidden may be regarded
as meaning that it is makrooh, and not haraam, if there is proof to that
effect. There may be many indications that the prohibition mentioned in a
text means that something is makrooh rather than haraam.

For more information, please see fatwa no.
184119

Thirdly:

With regard to the prohibition mentioned in the hadith of Abu
Hurayrah, in which it tells us that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The imam has only been appointed to be
followed, so when he says takbeer then say takbeer, and do not say takbeer
until after he has said takbeer; and when he bows then bow, and do not bow
until after he has bowed; … and when he prostrates then prostrate, and do
not prostrate until he has prostrated…” Narrated by Abu Dawood (603);
classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel (2/121)

Some of the scholars looked at the wording of the hadith and
understood the prohibition according to the basic principle, i.e., that it
indicates that it is haraam. Hence they said: It is obligatory to follow the
imam, and it is haraam to go ahead of him, and it is also haraam to do the
actions at the same time as him.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Adam al-Ethiopi said:

Al-‘Allaamah ash-Shawkaani (may Allah have mercy on him)
said, commenting on the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with
him), in which it says: “When he says takbeer then say takbeer”:

This indicates that the worshipper who is praying behind the
imam should not start to say the takbeer until after the imam has finished
saying it. The same applies to bowing, rising from bowing, and prostrating.
This is also indicated by his words in the second report: “Do not say
takbeer, do not bow, and do not prostrate”, and by all the other reports
which mention this prohibition or forbidding.

There was a difference of opinion concerning that, as to
whether it is obligatory or recommended. What appears to be the case is that
it is obligatory, without differentiating between the opening takbeer (takbeerat
al-ihram) and others. End quote.

Al-Jaami‘ said:

What ash-Shawkaani said about the command meaning that it is
obligatory is the view that was regarded as most likely to be correct by as-San‘aani
in his ‘Iddah, vol. 2, p. 241. It is also more likely to be correct
in my view. So it is haraam for the worshipper to go ahead of his imam, or
do the actions at the same time as him, because the clear prohibition
mentioned above in the report of Abu Dawood indicates that it is haraam. And
Allah knows best.

End quote from Sharh Sunan an-Nasaa’i (10/112-113)

Most of the scholars said that the prohibition on doing
actions of the prayer at the same time as the imam indicates that it is only
makrooh.

Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

What is recommended is for the worshipper to start doing the
actions of prayer, such as moving up and down, after the imam has done them,
and it is makrooh for him to do them with the imam, according to most of the
scholars.

End quote from al-Mughni (2/208)

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Doing the actions of prayer at the same time as the imam is
makrooh, and it was said that it is contrary to the Sunnah, but the more
correct view is that it is makrooh.

Examples of doing things at the same time as the imam
include:

when the imam says “Allahu akbar” for rukoo‘ (bowing), and
starts to bow down, and you and the imam bow down at the same time. This is
makrooh because the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: “When he bows then bow, and do not bow until he has bowed.”

In the case of sujood (prostration), when the imam says
takbeer for prostration, and you prostrate and you and the imam reach the
floor at the same time. This is makrooh because the Messenger (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not prostrate until he (the imam) has
prostrated.”

Al-Bara’ ibn ‘Aazib said: After the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said “Sami‘a Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears
those who praise Him)” [and we had all risen from bowing], not one of us
would bend his back (in order to prostrate] until the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) went down in prostration, then we would go down
in prostration after him.

End quote from ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘ (4/189).

Perhaps the indication that the prohibition mentioned in the
text – concerning the one who does the actions of the prayer at the same
time as his imam – is makrooh and not haraam, in their view, is two things:

1.

That the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
denounced in the strongest terms only the one who goes ahead of the imam.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with
him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Does
not one of you fear, if he raises his head before the imam, that Allah may
turn his head into the head of a donkey, or that Allah may change his form
into the form of a donkey?” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (691) and Muslim (427).
No such stern denunciation came concerning doing the actions of prayer at
the same time as the imam, so the ruling thereon is less strict.

Ibn al-Mulaqqin (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

The apparent meaning of the hadith indicates that it is
haraam to go ahead of the imam and the implicit meanings is that it is
permissible to do the actions of prayer at the same time as the imam.
However, there is no doubt that it is makrooh to do so, and it causes one to
miss out on the virtue of praying in congregation.

End quote from al-I‘laam bi Fawaa’id ‘Umdat al-Ahkaam
(2/552)

Some of the scholars objected to understanding this hadith as
meaning that it is permissible to do the actions of prayer at the same time
as the imam; rather when taken as a whole, the hadiths indicate that this is
not permissible.

Al-‘Iraaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, in the hadith of Abu
Hurayrah that was narrated by Abu Dawood – “When he says takbeer then say
takbeer, and do not say takbeer until he has said takbeer”; and concerning
bowing: “Do not bow until he has bowed”; and concerning prostration: “Do not
prostrate until he has prostrated” – what this additional material that was
reported by Abu Dawood indicates is that it is not possible that doing the
actions with the imam could be permissible

End quote from Tarh at-Tathreeb (2/330)

Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Abu Dawood added: “and do not bow until he has bowed, and do
not prostrate until he has prostrated.” This is a good addition, which rules
out the possibility that what was meant by his words “when he says takbeer
then say takbeer” was doing it at the same time as the imam.

But this report of Abu Dawood clearly rules out doing these
actions before the imam or at the same time as him. And Allah knows best.

End quote from Fath al-Baari (2/179)

In ‘Umdat al-Qaari (5/217) it says:

The report of Abu Dawood clearly rules out doing any of (the
actions of prayer) before the imam or at the same time as him. End quote.

2.

Perhaps the majority regarded the reason for this prohibition
as being the fact that it is obligatory to follow the imam and not differ
from him, as is explained at the beginning of the hadith of Abu Hurayrah
quoted above. It was also narrated by al-Bukhaari (722) and Muslim (414) as
follows: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The
imam is appointed to be followed, so do not differ from him.”

The precise meaning of being an imam is that the imam is to
be ahead of those who are praying behind him both in the place where he
stands and in his actions and words.

If a person bows at the same time as the imam, for example,
even though he has not properly followed the imam, he has not completely
abandoned the idea of following, which is in contrast to the case of one who
bows before the imam. The latter has done an action that is diametrically
opposed to following the imam.

Hence doing actions at the same time as the imam is makrooh
because it detracts from the proper meaning of following the imam, which is
required, but it is not entirely contrary to it, unlike doing actions before
the imam, which is haraam because it is entirely contrary to the idea of
following the imam, which is obligatory.

And Allah knows best.