so if the imam offers qunūt, he should join him in it, and if the imam omits it, he should not offer it. For the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“The imam has only been appointed to be followed.”

He also said:

“Do not go against your imams.”

It is also established in the Sahīh collection that he said:

“They lead you in prayer. If they do so correctly, both you and they will be rewarded; if they err, you will be rewarded, while they will bear the blame.”

Do you not see that if the imam recited a surah in addition to al-Fātihah in the last two units of prayer and made them longer than the first two, following him in that would be obligatory? Going ahead of the imam, however, is not permissible. Thus, if he offers qunūt, those praying behind him may not go ahead of him; they must follow him. This is why, although ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd objected to ʿUthmān’s praying four units at Minā, he nevertheless prayed four units behind him. When asked about this, he replied, “Discord is evil.” Likewise, when a man asked Anas ibn Mālik about the time for throwing the pebbles, he informed him, then said, “Do as your imam does.” And Allah knows best.

He—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked:

Regarding the saying of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

“It is not lawful for a man leading people in prayer to single himself out in supplication to their exclusion. If he does so, he has betrayed them.”

Is it recommended, then, for the imam to include those praying behind him whenever he supplicates to Allah, Mighty and Majestic? And is it authentically reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to supplicate exclusively for himself during his prayer, without including those praying behind him?