Should the congregation follow an imam who mistakenly stands for a fifth rakʿah?
2026-10-13
T129 · Ibn Taymiyyah
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah
شيخ الإسلام أحمد بن تيمية
Original Q&A · Full displayed answer
The answer distinguishes those who followed without knowing from those who know the imam is adding a fifth rakʿah.
النص العربي
السؤال الأصلي
وسئل رحمه الله عن إمام قام إلى خامسة، فسبح به فلم يلتفت لقولهم، وظن أنه لم يسه. فهل يقومون معه أم لا؟
الجواب
إن قاموا معه جاهلين لم تبطل صلاتهم؛ لكن مع العلم لا ينبغي لهم أن يتابعوه، بل ينتظرونه حتى يسلم بهم، أو يسلموا قبله، والانتظار أحسن. والله أعلم.
English translation
English rendering prepared for SalafAlSalih.com from the cited Arabic answer. Not an official translation.
Original question
He, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked about an imam who stood for a fifth rakʿah. They alerted him by saying tasbīḥ, but he paid no attention to them and thought he had not made a mistake. Should they stand with him or not?
Answer
If they stood with him without knowing, their prayer is not invalidated. However, if they know, they should not follow him. Instead, they wait for him until he ends the prayer with them, or they end their prayer before him. Waiting is better. Allah knows best.
Source and editorial notes
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 23/53; King Fahd Complex, Madinah, 1425 AH / 2004
مجموع الفتاوى
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā
Arabic transcribed and compared against the cited scan and adjacent context.