Is the Imam's prayer invalid if a worshiper precedes him in some actions or positions?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The majority of scholars hold that the prayer of a congregant becomes invalid if he precedes his Imam. The kind of precedence that invalidates the prayer is when his heel is ahead of the Imam's heel. Assuming that your father certainly preceded you in the row, his prayer is valid according to the Maliki school of thought, and it is permissible to follow this opinion.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/190593
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 190593
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy