16
Prompting the Imam
The Prophet ﷺ instituted that the congregation should prompt the imam when his recitation becomes confused. He once led a prayer and, during the recitation, hesitation overtook him. When he had finished the prayer, he turned to Ubayy and asked, “Did you pray with us?” He replied, “Yes.” The Prophet then said, “What kept you from prompting me?” (1)
(1) This report comes through Ibn Umar. It was recorded by Abu Dawud (1/144); Ibn Asakir (2/296/2); and al-Tabarani in al-Kabir, from whom al-Diya al-Maqdisi transmitted it in al-Mukhtara, with the chain: Muhammad ibn Shuayb → Abdullah ibn al-Ala ibn Zabar → Salim ibn Abdullah → Ibn Umar: “The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) performed a prayer …” to the end of the narration.
The chain is sound; every transmitter is reliable. Al-Nawawi (4/241) said, “It is fully authentic; a sahih hadith.” Al-Khattabi likewise stated in Maalim (1/216), “Its isnad is good.” Ibn Hibban also recorded it, as noted in Talkhis (4/118).
It has a supporting narration from al-Musawwar ibn Yazid al-Maliki, who said: “I witnessed the Messenger of Allah reciting in the prayer; he omitted something he had not recited. A man said, ‘Messenger of Allah, you left out such-and-such a verse.’ He replied, ‘Why did you not remind me of it?’” This version was collected by Abu Dawud and by al-Bukhari in Juz al-Qiraah (17). Al-Nawawi commented:
الفَتْحُ على الإمام
وسَنَّ ﷺ الفتح على الإمام إذا لُبِسَتْ عليه القراءةُ؛ فقد " صلى
صلاة، فقرأ فيها، فلُبس عليه، فلما انصرف؛ قال لأُبَيٍّ:
" أصليتَ معنا؟ ". قال: نعم. قال:
" فما منعك [أن تفتح علي] ؟! " " (١) .
(١) هذا من حديث ابن عمر ﵄.
أخرجه أبو داود (١/١٤٤) ، ﴿وابن عساكر (٢/٢٩٦/٢) ﴾ ، والطبراني في
" الكبير "، وعنه الضياء المقدسي في " المختارة " من طريق محمد بن شعيب: أخبرنا
عبد الله بن العلاء بن زَبْر عن سالم بن عبد الله عنه:
أن النبي ﷺ صلى صلاة ... الحديث.
وهذا سند صحيح. رجاله كلهم ثقات. وقال النووي (٤/٢٤١) :
" صحيح كامل الصحة، وهو حديث صحيح ". اهـ. وقال الخطابي في " المعالم "
(١/٢١٦) :
" إسناده جيد ". وأخرجه ابن حبان أيضاً - كما في " التلخيص " (٤/١١٨) -.
وله شاهد من حديث المُسَوَّر بن يزيد المالكي قال:
شهدت رسول الله ﷺ يقرأ في الصلاة، فترك شيئاً لم يقرأ، فقال له رجل: يا رسول
الله! تركت آية كذا وكذا. فقال رسول الله ﷺ:
" هلا ذكَّرْتَنيها ".
أخرجه أبو داود، وكذا البخاري في " جزء القراءة " (١٧) . قال النووي: