then they stand upright. Yet the one praying behind the “radio” is following an imam who is not in front of him; rather, vast distances separate them. This opens the door to evil, for one who is negligent concerning the Friday prayer can say: “So long as prayer is valid behind the ‘radio’ and ‘television,’ I want to pray in my home, with my son, my brother, or the like, so that we may form a row.”
The more correct view, then, is that it is not valid for a follower outside the mosque to follow the imam unless the rows are continuous. Two conditions are therefore necessary:
- He must hear the takbīr.
- The rows must be continuous.
As for requiring that he be able to see, this is open to question. So long as he can hear the takbīr and the rows are continuous, following the imam is valid. Accordingly, if the mosque becomes full, the rows remain continuous, and people pray in the marketplaces or on the thresholds of the shops, there is nothing wrong with this.
Prayer is valid behind an imam who is above them.
It is disliked if the elevation is a cubit or more, …
His statement, “Prayer is valid behind an imam who is above them,” means: above the followers.
For example, he may be on the upper floor while they are on the lower floor. This often occurs in the lower level, the basement prayer room; the imam is above those people. The prayer is valid, and there is no harm in it.
The evidence that prayer behind an imam is valid when he is above the congregation is that, when a minbar was made for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, he prayed upon it. He would ascend it, recite, and bow; then, when he wished to prostrate, he would descend from the minbar and prostrate on the ground. He said: “O people, I did this so that you may follow me and learn my prayer.” (1)