Racing with the Imaam

Taken from Muntaqaa Fadaa'il as-Salat wa Adaabihaa (pg. 48-64) (Mistakes of Prayer)

Sixth: Racing with the Imaam

Some people race and compete with their Imaams in certain parts of the prayer, such as:

1. Hastening to say the Ameen in Surah Al-Faatihah: Before the Imaam even finishes reciting “wa lad-Daalleen”, the people rush to say Ameen!! This is not permissible due to the Prophet’s statement: “…and when he says: ‘wa laad-Daalleen’, say: ‘Aameen.’[10] Meaning: Say it after he finishes reciting it. Due to this rushing of theirs, they deprive themselves of the virtue of forgiveness that has been mentioned in the Prophet’s statement: “...so whoever’s Ameen coincides with the Ameen of the angels, his past sins will be forgiven.” [11]

2. Among them are those who race with the Imaam in raising their heads before he does. We have been warned about doing this in the Sunnah of Allaah’s Messenger (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), where he said: “Should not each of you fear, if he raises his head before the Imaam, that Allaah will make his head (like that of) the head of a donkey or that Allaah will make his appearance (like that of) the appearance of a donkey?!” [12]

3. They also compete with the Imaam in going down to prostrate from the bowing position before making sure that the Imaam has begun prostrating.

Al-Bukhaaree (690) and Muslim (474) reported from Al-Baraa bin ‘Aazib (radyAllaahu 'anhu) that: “When the Messenger of Allaah would say: ‘Sami’Allaahu liman Hamidah’, none of us would bend his back forward until the Prophet went down into prostration (first). Then we would go down into prostration after him.”

Seventh: Rushing and Hurrying to Catch the Rukoo’ or the Tashahhud and so on
 

This is clear opposition to the Prophet’s (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) statement: “When the prayer is established, do not come to it while you are hastening. Rather, come to it, while walking and in a state of calmness. So whatever you catch, pray it (in congregation) and whatever you missed, complete it.”

In another narration, it states: “And do not rush…” [13]

So the foundation is that one must be calm and tranquil and not in a rush.

Shaikh 'Alee Hasan Al-Halabee

http://abdurrahman.org/salah/drawingAttention.html

[10] Reported by Abu Dawood and Ibn Maajah from Abu Hurairah; Refer to Saheeh-ul-Jaami’-us-Sagheer (2359)
[11] See Silsilat-ul-Ahaadeeth as-Saheehah (1236)
[12] Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim from Abu Hurairah 

[13] Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim from Abu Hurairah