When saying tasleem at the end of prayer, should the person who is praying behind an imam say tasleem after the first tasleem from the imam, then the second after the second, or should he wait and not say the tasleem until the imam has finished the second tasleem?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is better for the person who is praying behind an imam not
to say the tasleem at the end of the prayer until the imam has finished the
second tasleem.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in
al-Majmoo’ (3/464):
Al-Baghawi said: It is mustahabb not to start the salaam
until the imam has finished both tasleems. This is the view of al-Shaafa’i
according to al-Buwayti, as was quoted by al-Baghawi. He said: Whoever is
(praying) behind an imam, when the imam has finished his salaam, he should
say salaam to his right and his left. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in
al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (4/267):
The scholars said: It is makrooh to say the first and second
tasleem with your imam, but if you say the first tasleem after his first
tasleem and the second tasleem after his second tasleem, there is nothing
wrong with that, but it is better not to say the tasleem until after he has
said both tasleems. End quote.
And Allaah knows best.
