Fatwaa ID: 955

Question:

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
I’m an Imaam that’s a Shafiee but the musallees are Ahnaaf so the sajdah that’s in para 23 (Surah Saad) I can’t make it but the musallees have to what should I do?
What about if I’m behind a Hanafi imam who makes the sajdah, what should I do?

Answer:
In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salaamu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullaahi wa-barakaatuh.

In principle, verse 24 of Surah Saad is regarded to be a Sajdah Tilaawah verse according to the Hanafi legal school, while the Shaafi’ee legal school regards it to be a Sajdah of Shukr. Sajdah Tilaawah is performed in salaah as well as out of salaah, while Sajdah Shukr is only performed out of salaah.

The answers to your queries are as follows,

1. A Shaafi’ee imaam must follow the position of his legal school. He should not make sajdah in Surah Saad. Doing so may invalidate his salaah. The Hanafi follower behind him will follow him in salaah. There is no qadhaa afterwards for the Hanafi.
2. If the imaam is a Hanafi and he performs sajdah, the Shaafi’ee follower should not follow him. If he does, then his salaah will break. Instead, he has two options:
   a. He can remain standing and wait for the imaam to return back to the standing position after the sajdah and then continue with him, and this is the preferred position, or
   b. He can intend separating from the imaam and the congregation and then complete the salah on his own.

And Allaah Ta’aala knows best.
Mufti Muajul I. Chowdhury
Darul Iftaa New York
https://askthemufti.us/

وصل اللهم وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد وعلى ءاله وصحبه أجمعين

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