FatwaFederal TerritoriesPrayer (Salah)
AL-KAFI #1992: ADAKAH SAH SOLAT MAKMUM JIKA SESEORANG YANG DIIKUTINYA TIDAK MAHU MENJADI IMAM?
Is a follower's prayer valid if the person he follows, having been nudged to lead, does not intend to be the imam?
Short answer
The follower's prayer remains valid even if the person who was nudged does not intend to act as imam.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Al-Kafi li al-Fatawi
- Topic
- Prayer (Salah)
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
The follower's prayer remains valid even if the person who was nudged does not intend to act as imam. In the Shafi'i school, the intention to be imam is neither obligatory nor a condition for the validity of the follower's prayer, a view held by the majority of Shafi'i scholars. The follower must intend to pray in congregation, and then the prayer is valid and earns the reward of congregation. The ruling also notes that a person praying an obligatory prayer may follow an imam praying a voluntary one, so this is not a reason to refuse to lead.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Solat makmum tetap sah walaupun orang yang dicuit tersebut tidak berniat untuk menjadi imam. Ini kerana niat imam bukanlah satu syarat dalam solat berjemaah.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “AL-KAFI #1992: ADAKAH SAH SOLAT MAKMUM JIKA SESEORANG YANG DIIKUTINYA TIDAK MAHU MENJADI IMAM?”, 19 July 2024. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/5958-al-kafi-1992-adakah-sah-solat-makmum-jika-seseorang-yang-diikutinya-tidak-mahu-menjadi-imam. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/validity-follower-prayer-imam-no-intention/