Hattan bin Abdullah Raqashi says: Sayyiduna Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) led his companions in prayer. During the congregation, a man said while sitting:“Prayer has been joined with goodness and purity.”When Sayyiduna Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) completed the prayer, he turned to the people and said:“Who said such-and-such words?”The people remained silent. (Abu Abdur Rahman said: My father said that the meaning of ‘aramma’ is silence.) Then he said to Hattan bin Abdullah:“O Hattan! Perhaps you were the one who said this?”He replied:“By Allah! I did not say this, but I was indeed afraid that you would scold me.”At that moment, a man said:“I said these words, and my intention was only good and well-being.”Sayyiduna Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) said:“Do you not know what you are saying in your prayer? Indeed, the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave us a sermon in which he taught us the matters of our religion and clarified the method of prayer. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Straighten your rows. Whoever knows more of the Noble Qur’an should lead the prayer. When he says the takbir, you also say the takbir. And when he says {وَلَاالضَّالِّیْنَ}, you say Ameen; Allah the Exalted will accept your supplication. Then, when the imam says the takbir and bows (for ruku’), you say the takbir and bow. Indeed, the imam bows before you and rises from ruku’ before you; this (the imam going before you) is in exchange for your delay in rising. When he says“Sami’ Allahu liman hamidah,”you say“Rabbana lakal hamd.”Allah will hear your words, for Allah the Exalted has said“Sami’ Allahu liman hamidah”upon the tongue of His Prophet. And when the imam says the takbir and prostrates, you say the takbir and prostrate. Indeed, the imam prostrates before you and rises before you; this (his going before you) is in exchange for your delay in rising. When the worshipper is in the sitting (qa’dah), he should first say:“At-tahiyyatu at-tayyibatu as-salawatu lillah, … ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluhu.”(All verbal, financial, and physical acts of worship are for Allah alone. O Prophet: peace, Allah’s mercy, and His blessings be upon you. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is Allah’s servant and Messenger.)

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: The imam is appointed only to be followed, so do not differ with him. When he says the takbir, then you say the takbir, and do not say the takbir until he has said the takbir. Likewise, when he bows (for ruku‘), then you bow, and do not bow until he has bowed. When he says سَمِعَ اللّٰہُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَہُ, then you say رَبَّنَا وَلَکَ الْحَمْدُ. In one narration, it is اَللّٰہُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَکَ الْحَمْدُ, and in another, رَبَّنَا لَکَ الْحَمْدُ. When the imam prostrates, then you prostrate, and do not prostrate before he has prostrated. And if he prays sitting, then you should also pray sitting.

Sayyiduna Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) says: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would raise his head from bowing (ruku‘), none of us would bend his back for prostration (sajdah) until the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had gone into prostration; then we would prostrate.

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a man prayed behind the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he used to bow (ruku') before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and would rise before him as well. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) completed the prayer, he said: Who was the one doing this? He said: O Messenger of Allah! It was me, I wanted to know whether you would notice or not. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Protect your prayer from harm; when the Imam bows, then you should bow, and when he raises his head, then you should raise your head.

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that one day, after finishing the prayer, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) turned towards us and said: O people! Indeed, I am your Imam, so do not go ahead of me in bowing, prostration, standing, sitting, or in saying the salam. I see you from in front of me and from behind me. By the One in Whose hand is my soul! If you were to see what I have seen, you would laugh little and weep much. They said: O Messenger of Allah! What have you seen? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: I have seen Paradise and Hell. In another narration, it is mentioned: And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged them to perform prayer.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that Abul Qasim, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), said: Does the person who raises his head while the Imam is in the state of prostration not fear that Allah Almighty may transform his head into the head of a donkey?

(Second chain) The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Whoever prays with the imam, but raises his head before him, is he not afraid that Allah, the Exalted, may transform his face into the face of a donkey?

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Do not precede me in bowing (ruku‘) and prostration (sujud). If I precede you in bowing, you will catch up with me when I rise; similarly, if I precede you in prostration, you will catch up with me when I rise. Indeed, now I have become old.

Abdullah bin Yazid Ansari said in his sermon: Sayyiduna Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) informed us, and he is not a liar (i.e., he is truthful), that indeed when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would raise his head from bowing (ruku‘), they (all the companions) would remain standing until he (peace and blessings be upon him) prostrated, then they would go into prostration.