And Abū Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmān, Maymūn ibn Mihrān, Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr, and others held that one should recite during the imam’s silence, thereby following the Prophet’s words (may Allah bless him and grant him peace):

“No prayer is valid without the Opening of the Book.”

Thus, one recites during the pause, then listens silently when the imam recites, thereby following Allah’s words:

“Whoever obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah.”

And His words:

“Whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him and follows a path other than that of the believers, We will leave him to what he has chosen and burn him in Hell. What an evil destination!”

If the imam omits something required for the prayer, those behind him must make up the deficiency. ‘Alqamah said: “If the imam does not complete it, we do.”

Al-Hasan, Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr, and Humayd ibn Hilāl each said: “I recite the Opening of the Book on Fridays.”

He said: Others among these people said that reciting in Persian is sufficient, and that reciting a single verse is sufficient. Those who come later contradict those who came before them, without any basis in the Book or the Sunnah.

He was also asked: “Who has permitted you, on the basis of a report or an analogy, to recite praises while the imam is reciting, yet forbidden others to perform the obligation—namely, recitation—when you have neither a report nor scholarly agreement to support you? For a number of the people of Medina did not hold that either the imam or anyone else should recite praises: they pronounce ‘Allah is the Greatest’ and then begin reciting.”

Thus he became bewildered among them, while they wavered in their doubt. Moreover, he did the same with several obligatory acts, treating what is obligatory as less important than what is voluntary.