Fatwa ID: 07828
Written by Maulana Sibghat Ullah
Question:
If someone is praying 4 Sunnah and someone taps them and joins him for the intention of faradh. Is it necessary for the imam to tell him after salah that he was praying sunnah? Likewise, is it necessary for the muqtadhi to ask?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
If an imam is praying sunnah and the muqtadi who joins him is praying fardh salah it will be considered invalid. It is based on the principle of congruence of intention between the imam and the follower.
The imam’s intention should be the same or stronger than the muqtadi for the salah to be valid.
The imam should inform the muqtadi after praying sunnah if he realises that muqtadi is probably praying fardh so the muqtadi can repeat his salah.
Similarly, if the muqtadi is in doubt about his salah, he should confirm it with imam after completing salah to make sure his intention with imam was aligned.
Only Allah knows best.
Written by Maulana Sibghat Ullah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
Ad-Durr al- Mukhtar with Radd al-Mukhtar, Book of salah, chapter of imamat
لَا تَصِحُّ إِمَامَةُ مَنْ يُصَلِّي النَّفْلَ لِمَنْ يُصَلِّي الْفَرْضَ، لِأَنَّ النِّيَّةَ تَجِبُ أَنْ تَتَّفِقَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ الْمَحْمُولَةِ، وَإِلَّا كَانَتْ صَلَاتُهُ فَاسِدَةً.
The imamate of one performing a voluntary prayer for one performing an obligatory prayer is invalid because the intentions must align for the prayer being undertaken. Otherwise, the prayer is invalid.
Al-Hidaya, Book of salah, chapter of imamat.
وَيَجُوزُ اقْتِدَاءُ الْمُتَنَفِّلِ بِالْمُتَنَفِّلِ، وَالْمُفْتَرِضِ بِالْمُفْتَرِضِ إِذَا كَانَ فَرْضُهُمَا وَاحِدًا … وَأَمَّا إذَا اخْتَلَفَتْ النِّيَّةُ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَجُوزُ لِأَنَّ الْإِمَامَ يَكُونُ حَامِلًا لِصَلَاةِ الْمُقْتَدِي، وَالْحَمَّالُ لَا بُدَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَقْوَى، وَهُوَ هَذَا.
It is permissible for one offering a voluntary prayer to follow another offering a voluntary prayer, and for one offering an obligatory prayer to follow another offering the same obligatory prayer… But if the intention differs, it is not valid because the imam bears the responsibility of the follower’s prayer, and the one bearing responsibility must be in a stronger position, which is not the case here.
Fatawa al-Hindiyyah, Book of salah, chapter of imamat.
وَإِنْ صَلَّى الْإِمَامُ غَيْرَ الْفَرْضِ فَعَلَيْهِ أَنْ يُعْلِمَ الْمُقْتَدِينَ بِنِيَّتِهِ قَبْلَ الدُّخُولِ فِي الصَّلَاةِ.
If the imam is praying something other than an obligatory prayer, it is upon him to inform the followers of his intention before entering the prayer.
Radd al-Muḥtar, Book of salah, book of imamat, page 433.
وَإِنْ شَكَّ الْمُقْتَدِي فِي نِيَّةِ الْإِمَامِ فَلَا تَجُوزُ اقْتِدَاؤُهُ حَتَّى يَتَيَقَّنَ، فَإِنَّ الْمُوَافَقَةَ فِي النِّيَّةِ شَرْطٌ.
If the follower doubts the imam’s intention, then it is not permissible for him to follow until he becomes certain, for the alignment of intention is a condition.
