Chapter: The prohibition of the follower raising his head from bowing or prostration before the imam

1751 – Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Does not one of you fear that, if he raises his head before the imam, Allah may turn his head into the head of a donkey or make his appearance the appearance of a donkey?” Agreed upon.

[Commentary]

These are actions whose rulings the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified, as the author of Riyad al-Salihin has presented them. The first concerns the prohibition of the follower (maʾmūm) elevating his head before the imam in bowing or prostration. The follower is instructed to follow the imam—neither preceding him, nor lagging behind, nor moving exactly with him; rather, he should come after him.

1. Preceding the imam (sabaq):
   • If this occurs in the opening declaration of Allah’s greatness (takbīrat al-iḥrām), the prayer has not begun at all. That is, if a person pronounces the opening takbīr before the imam does—even out of forgetfulness or absent-mindedness—his prayer does not start and he must repeat it.
   • If he goes ahead of the imam in bowing or prostration, knowingly and deliberately, his prayer is invalid. He has committed a prohibited act within the prayer, so the prayer is nullified, just as it would be if he had spoken intentionally.

2. Moving simultaneously with the imam (muwāfaqa):
   The follower begins as soon as the imam begins—for example, he bows the moment the imam bows, prostrates when the imam prostrates, and rises when the imam rises. If this occurs in the opening takbīr