Alerting the Imam in prayer

Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

If the imam leading the congregational prayer forgets some word or passage, or makes a mistake while reciting the Glorious Quran during the salah, there is absolutely no harm if one amongst the believers praying behind him alerts the imam by reciting the relevant verse of the Quran.

 

But if the Imam leading the prayer makes a movement error (like standing up for the third rakah in a four-rakah prayer without sitting for the small tashahud, etc.), the believers praying behind the imam must alert their imam by declaring ‘subhanallah’; if one amongst the men did not alert the imam or if there are only women in the congregation, the women are to alert the imam of his error by the clapping of their hands.

 

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 2.86

It is permissible for men to say ‘subhanallah’ and for women to clap to alert the imam leading the prayer to a mistake he might have made in the prayer.  Sahl ibn Sa'd as-Sa'di relates that the Prophet (saws) said: "If someone is faced with something during the ‘salah’, he should say 'subhanallah.'  Clapping is for the women and saying ‘subhanallah’ is for the men."

Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and an-Nasa'i. 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Members of Islamhelpline