Answer: When the imam is reciting aloud, the person praying behind him must listen silently, for Allah the Exalted says, “When the Qur’an is recited, listen to it attentively and remain silent, so that you may be shown mercy” (7:204).

Therefore, the follower is not allowed to recite while his imam is reciting aloud, except—according to some scholars—for Sūrah al-Fātiḥah alone. Beyond al-Fātiḥah he is to refrain from recitation altogether and listen to the imam.

If, however, the imam becomes confused in his recitation, it is prescribed for the follower to prompt him—provided the follower knows the verse that has slipped the imam’s mind. What is not permissible is for the follower to hold a mushaf (a written copy of the Qur’an) and read behind the imam in order to correct him should he err. If something is unclear to the imam and the follower happens to know the missing verse, he should prompt him; if he does not know it, he is excused. As for taking up the mushaf and reading behind the imam, there is no basis for that—apart from the difference of opinion already mentioned concerning al-Fātiḥah.

Reciting Aloud Behind the Imam
Question: A worshipper joins the congregational prayer after missing one of the audible rakʿahs. Should he recite aloud the part he missed while the imam is reciting silently in the third or fourth rakʿah, or should he keep his voice low behind the imam and recite aloud only when he completes the prayer on his own after the imam’s salām?

Answer: The sound position is that whatever the latecomer (al-masbūq) catches with the imam counts as the first part of his own prayer. Accordingly, what he performs with the imam is considered the beginning of his prayer. Thus, if he catches