This explicit wording qualifies the unrestricted wording in the other version. He said:

“Do you recite behind your imam?” We replied, “Yes.” He said, “Then do not do so except with the Opening of the Book.”

This means when the imam recites aloud. It also explains what Ahmad narrated in al-Musnad from Abd Allah ibn Masʿūd, who said:

“They used to recite behind the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so he said, ‘You have confused my recitation of the Quran.’”

This occurs either in a prayer recited aloud or in a silent prayer in which a follower raises his voice enough for the imam to hear him. Otherwise, a follower who recites quietly to himself neither confuses the imam nor is confused by him. This differs from a follower who recites while the imam is reciting, for the imam’s recitation certainly confuses him. Indeed, some followers repeat al-Fātihah several times because the imam’s voice inevitably distracts them.

Indeed, if the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, described the follower as confusing the imam, muddling his recitation, and competing with him, what, then, of the effect on the follower when the imam recites aloud? One follower can also confuse another when reciting aloud, for when someone recites aloud on his own, the slightest sound confuses him and makes recitation difficult. Unless all sounds are completely hushed, his recitation becomes difficult and he becomes confused. This is something readily experienced.

Thus, you find that those who attend gatherings for listening to poetry—listening accompanied by whistling and clapping—are disturbed by the slightest sound and object to anyone who disrupts them. Likewise, someone reciting the Quran outside prayer is disturbed by the slightest sound; how much more so someone reciting during prayer? If someone outside prayer were to recite to a group who did not listen silently to him, but instead