Question:
I was late in arriving to perform the Subuh prayer. After the tahiyat, the imam performs the sahwi prostration. Is it wajib for me to follow the imam in performing the sahwi prostration or stand up to add the rakaat?
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
The sahwi prostration is performed when there is a defect (intentional or because he forgets) in the prayer performed. It is performed at the end of the prayer before the salam by prostrating two times the same as other prostrations in prayer with the intention sahwi prostration. (See al-Fiqh al-Manhaji, 1/443)
Answering the above question, it is permissible to perform the sahwi prostration together with the imam. The imam is to be followed. In a hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah RA, the Prophet PBUH said:
إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ الْإِمَامُ لِيُؤْتَمَّ بِهِ
"The Imam is to be followed,”
Sahih al-Bukhari (378) and Sahih Muslim (948)
Our teacher al-Syeikh ‘Atiyyah Salim said: In the issue of sahwi prostration, when the imam prostrated and the makmum followed in prostration, while the imam prostrates because he forgets but the makmum did not forget, they should follow to prostrate together with the imam. (See Syarh Bulugh al-Maram by Syeikh ‘Atiyyah Muhammad Salim, 1/464)
In answering this issue, we present the hadith narrated from Umar RA, the Prophet PBUH said:
لَيْسَ عَلَى مَنْ خَلْفَ الإِمَامِ سَهْوٌ فَإِنْ سَهَا الإِمَامُ فَعَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى مَنْ خَلْفَهُ
“Not a person who prayed following an imam perform the sahwi prostration. If the imam forgets, then both the imam and makmum should perform the sahwi prostration.”
Narrated by al-Bazzar, al-Baihaqi (2/532) and al-Daraqutni (1/377)
This hadith in the words of al-Baihaqi is dhai’if. Al-Syaukani states that one of the narrators Kharijah bin Mus’ab is a dha’if narrator. The same for Abu al-Husin al-Madini, one of its narrators who is majhul.
This hadith is used as evidence that the imam is responsible on the forgetfulness of the makmum. If a makmum forgets while the imam did not, then the makmum does not have to perform the sahwi prostration. This is stated by Ibn al-Munzir as the consensus. Usul syariat supported this ruling. The reason is, the makmum should follow the imam until mutaba’ah (following the imam precedes tasyahhud awal). (See Taudhih al-Ahkam by al-Bassam, 2/351)
This hadith also shows that if the makmum did not forget and only the imam forgets for the makmum only joined the imam at the last tahiyyat, then he should follow and perform the sahwi prostration with the imam following the prophetic evidence:
إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ الْإِمَامُ لِيُؤْتَمَّ بِهِ
"The Imam is to be followed,”
Sahih al-Bukhari (378)
Ibn Munzir state this is the consensus of scholars.
Sometimes, the makmum did not make any mistakes while it is the imam that made a mistake. For example, the imam forgot to recite qunut while the makmum did not forget the qunut and managed to recite a simple qunut. Afterwards, at the end of prayer the imam performs the sahwi prostration for not reciting qunut, then the makmum should follow the imam in prostration. It is not a problem and not a condition for the makmum to also forget for him to be able to perform the sahwi prostration together with the imam.
Also see our previous article in al-Kafi #694: Is It Necessary to Perform the Sahwi Prostration If the Imam Leave It? [1] to increase our understanding.
May Allah SWT grant us knowledge and understanding. Amin.
Endnotes:
[1] See http://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/2252-al-kafi-694-perlukah-sujud-sahwi-jika-imam-meninggalkannya?highlight=WyJzdWp1ZCIsInNhaHdpIiwic3VqdWQgc2Fod2kiXQ==