must bow and prostrate when the imam bows and prostrates, not before him. Whatever he inadvertently does ahead of the imam is pardoned, but does not count. For this reason, the Companions and the leading scholars instructed him to lag behind by the same amount, so that his actions correspond to those of the imam.

As for someone who deliberately precedes the imam, there are two well-known views within the school of Ahmad and other schools concerning whether his prayer is invalidated. Those who hold it invalid argue that he has deliberately added something to the prayer, thereby invalidating it—just as his prayer would undoubtedly be invalid if he deliberately performed a bow or prostration before the imam, or deliberately added an extra bow or prostration to the prayer.

The Companions said to someone who preceded the imam: “You have neither prayed on your own nor followed your imam.” Whoever has prayed neither on his own nor as a follower has no valid prayer.

Accordingly, the worshipper must repent of preceding the imam, of rushing through the prayer, and of failing to come to rest in its postures. If he does not desist, everyone must enjoin upon him the right that Allah has commanded him to do and forbid him the wrong that Allah has forbidden him. If some of them undertake this, that suffices; otherwise, they are all sinful. Whoever is able to impose a discretionary punishment upon him and discipline him in the manner prescribed by Islamic law should do so. Whoever can do no more than shun him, and whose doing so would have an effect on him, should shun him until he repents. And Allah knows best.