Performing Salah (Prayer) Behind a Qualified Person, Recitation behind Him and His Responsibilities

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ خَلْفَ الْإِمَامِ أَقْرَأُ خَلْفَهُ فَقَالَ أَمَّا الصَّلَاةُ الَّتِي لَا يُجْهَرُ فِيهَا بِالْقِرَاءَةِ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ جُعِلَ إِلَيْهِ فَلَا تَقْرَأْ خَلْفَهُ وَ أَمَّا الصَّلَاةُ الَّتِي يُجْهَرُ فِيهَا فَإِنَّمَا أُمِرَ بِالْجَهْرِ لِيُنْصِتَ مَنْ خَلْفَهُ فَإِنْ سَمِعْتَ فَأَنْصِتْ وَ إِنْ لَمْ تَسْمَعْ فَاقْرَأْ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about performing Salah (prayer) behind an Imam if I must do the recitation. He (the Imam) said, ‘Salah (prayer) in which recitation is not aloud, it is assigned to him. So you do not recite behind him, and for Salah (prayer) in which recitation is done aloud, he is commanded to reci

إِذَا صَلَّيْتَ خَلْفَ إِمَامٍ تَأْتَمُّ بِهِ فَلَا تَقْرَأْ خَلْفَهُ سَمِعْتَ قِرَاءَتَهُ أَوْ لَمْ تَسْمَعْ إِلَّا أَنْ تَكُونَ صَلَاةً يُجْهَرُ فِيهَا وَ لَمْ تَسْمَعْ فَاقْرَأْ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If you perform Salah (prayer) behind one whom you follow, do not do the recitation behind him, regardless if you hear his recitation or not, except, when it is a Salah (prayer) in which recitation is done aloud and you do not hear then you are to recite.’”

إِذَا كُنْتَ خَلْفَ إِمَامٍ تَأْتَمُّ بِهِ فَأَنْصِتْ وَ سَبِّحْ فِي نَفْسِكَ.

“One of the two Imam (a.s.), has said, ‘If you perform Salah (prayer) behind an Imam whom you follow then remain silent and say Tasbih (Allah is free of all defects) to yourself only.’”

إِذَا كُنْتَ خَلْفَ إِمَامٍ تَرْتَضِي بِهِ فِي صَلَاةٍ يُجْهَرُ فِيهَا بِالْقِرَاءَةِ فَلَمْ تَسْمَعْ قِرَاءَتَهُ فَاقْرَأْ أَنْتَ لِنَفْسِكَ وَ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَسْمَعُ الْهَمْهَمَةَ فَلَا تَقْرَأْ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said, ‘When you perform Salah (prayer) behind an Imam and are happy with him in Salah (prayer) of which recitation is to be read aloud and you do not hear his recitation, then recite to yourself, but if you hear a humming sound, do not recite.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَحَدَهُمَا ع عَنِ الْإِمَامِ يَضْمَنُ صَلَاةَ الْقَوْمِ قَالَ لَا.

“I once asked one of the two Imam, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, if the Imam is responsible for Salah (prayer) of the people. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, he is not responsible.’”

أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع كَانَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ص يَقُولُ‌ مَنْ قَرَأَ خَلْفَ إِمَامٍ يَأْتَمُّ بِهِ فَمَاتَ بُعِثَ عَلَى غَيْرِ الْفِطْرَةِ[1].

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin would say, ‘One who recites when performing Salah (prayer) behind an Imam whom he follows and dies, he has died in a religion other than Fitrah (Islam).”’