Imaam prolonging his bowing to let late comers join him

3-6-2009 | IslamWeb

Question:

Salam alaykum, Is it right for an Imaam to wait on rukuu for approaching members of the jamaa due to his hearing of their footsteps?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

 

Scholars differed about this issue, and the sound opinion here is that the Imaam is recommended to prolong his bowing if he feels someone coming in to let him join the Rak’ah, unless this is hard for those praying behind him. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to prolong the first Rak'ah to enable the Companions to join it. Waiting for the new comer to join the bowing takes the same ruling, on condition that this is not hard for the people praying behind him because their right is given precedence over the right of the latecomer. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to shorten his prayer, though he wanted to prolong it, when he would hear the crying of a child so as not to trouble his mother.

Allaah Knows best.