= the follower’s standing to the imam’s right is an emphasized Sunnah, not an obligation whose omission invalidates the prayer. The Prophet’s moving Ibn Abbās to his right indicates that this position is preferable, not obligatory, since he did not forbid Ibn Abbās from standing on his left. See *al-Mukhtārāt*, p. 45. (1) The phrase “to the prayer” is absent from manuscript “A.” (2) Recorded by al-Bukhārī (2/390) and Muslim (no. 602). The shaykh affirmed that the portion a latecomer prays with the imam constitutes the beginning of his prayer, while what he makes up constitutes its end. See *al-Mukhtārāt al-Jaliyya*, p. 39. (3) Recorded by al-Tirmidhī (no. 591), who said: “This is a gharīb hadith. We know of no one who traced it back to the Prophet except through this route.” Its chain includes al-Hajjāj ibn Artāh, who practiced *tadlīs* (obscuring a possible gap in transmission); here he used the formula “from” without expressly affirming direct transmission.