What is the ruling on the prayer of one who lags behind the imam in bowing and rising from it, due to completing the Fatiha or the imam's extreme slowness?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The questioner is warned against obsessive thoughts (waswasah) and advised to act upon the easiest opinions to repel them. There is no harm for the questioner in acting upon the opinion of those who do not consider the recitation of Al-Fatiha obligatory for the congregant (ma'mum). His prayer is valid in the first scenario because he raises (from bowing) after his imam, and his raising before the imam finishes saying "Sami'a Allahu liman hamidah" (Allah hears him who praises Him) does not harm. As for the second scenario, his prayer is also valid according to many scholars.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/157127
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 157127
- 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