2/74. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 603 — Do Not Precede the Imam
About The Imam Praying While Sitting Down
Hadith About Not Preceding the Imam in Salah
Sunan Abi Dawud : 603
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 603
حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَمُسْلِمُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، - الْمَعْنَى - عَنْ وُهَيْبٍ، عَنْ مُصْعَبِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ الإِمَامُ لِيُؤْتَمَّ بِهِ فَإِذَا كَبَّرَ فَكَبِّرُوا وَلاَ تُكَبِّرُوا حَتَّى يُكَبِّرَ وَإِذَا رَكَعَ فَارْكَعُوا وَلاَ تَرْكَعُوا حَتَّى يَرْكَعَ وَإِذَا قَالَ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ فَقُولُوا اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ " . قَالَ مُسْلِمٌ " وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ " . " وَإِذَا سَجَدَ فَاسْجُدُوا وَلاَ تَسْجُدُوا حَتَّى يَسْجُدَ وَإِذَا صَلَّى قَائِمًا فَصَلُّوا قِيَامًا وَإِذَا صَلَّى قَاعِدًا فَصَلُّوا قُعُودًا أَجْمَعُونَ " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ " اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ " . أَفْهَمَنِي بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ .
AbuHurayrah Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The imam is appointed only to be followed; when he says "Allah is most great," say "Allah is most great" and do not say "Allah is most great" until he says "Allah is most great." When he bows; bow; and do not bow until he bows. And when he says "Allah listens to him who praise Him," say "O Allah, our Lord, to Thee be the praise." The version recorded by Muslim goes: "And to Thee be the praise: And when he prostrate; and do not prostrate until he prostrates. When he prays standing, pray standing, and when he prays sitting, all of you pray sitting.Abu Dawud said: The words "O Allah, our Lord, to You be the praise" reported by Sulaiman were explained to me by some of our companions.
[1] That is, he narrated this from Muslim bin Ibrāhīm and Sulaimān bin Ḥarb, and he noted the different wording, but he either heard differently from Sulaimān or was not sure, and some of his contemporaries narrated it from Sulaimān with this wording to verify it.Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 603In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 213English translation : Book 2, Hadith 603
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 603
This Hadith is a detailed answer for people searching do not precede the imam in prayer. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said the imam is appointed only to be followed. Then he gave step-by-step guidance. When the imam says “Allahu Akbar,” the followers say it after him, not before him. When he bows, they bow after him. When he prostrates, they prostrate after him. The same rule is given for standing and sitting. The Hadith also includes the response after “Allah listens to him who praises Him.” The message is very practical: the congregation should not rush. In jama'ah prayer, each person watches and follows the imam’s movement with care, so the prayer stays united.
What we learn from this hadith
- Followers should not say takbir before the imam says takbir.
- Bowing and prostration should happen after the imam moves.
- The congregation should follow the imam in both standing and sitting.
- The Hadith teaches calm timing in congregational salah.
