325 – Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“The imam has been appointed only so that he may be followed. Therefore, when he pronounces the takbir, pronounce the takbir; do not do so until he does. When he bows, bow; do not bow until he bows. When he says, ‘Allah hears the one who praises Him,’ say, ‘O Allah, our Lord, to You belongs all praise.’ When he prostrates, prostrate; do not prostrate until he prostrates. If he prays standing, then pray standing, and if he prays sitting, then pray sitting—all of you together.”
It was narrated by Abu Dawud, and the wording above is his; the hadith is originally found in the two Ṣaḥīḥs.⦗1⦘
Grading of the hadith
The report is authentic and has come through several Companions of the Prophet ﷺ, among them Anas, ʿĀʾishah, Jabir, and Abu Hurayrah.
As for the narration of Abu Hurayrah—the present text—it possesses several chains:
- Al-Aʿraj from him; recorded by al-Bukhari 701, Muslim 414, and Ahmad 7104.
- Abu ʿAlqamah from him; recorded by Muslim 416.
- Abu Yunus, the client of Abu Hurayrah, from him; recorded by Muslim 414.
- Abu Ṣāliḥ from him; recorded by Abu Dawud 603 and al-Nasaʾi 921, with the additional wording, “When he recites, listen attentively.” Abu Dawud said, “This addition is not well preserved.” Yet Muslim authenticated this addition and included it in his Ṣaḥīḥ 404, and among the factors that strengthen this