Prerequisites for the Validity of Jama’at

1. Islam – the jama’at of a kaafir is not valid.

2. To be in one’s senses – the jama’at of an intoxicated, unconscious or lunatic person is not valid.

3. In addition to making the intention of salaat, the muqtadi must also make the intention of following the imam. In other words, he must have this intention in his heart that he is offering a particular salaat behind this imam. The masaa’il related to intention have already been mentioned.

4. The place of the imam and the muqtadi must be the same. This is irrespective of whether being in one place is in reality, such as offering salaat together in one musjid or in one house; or in principle. For example, the imam stands on one end of a bridge over a river and the muqtadis stand behind him with the saffs reaching the opposite end going beyond the bridge. Although there is a river intervening between the muqtadis of the opposite end and the imam, resulting in the place not being the same in reality, but because the saffs inbetween are continuous, therefore their (the imam’s and the muqtadis of the opposite end) places will therefor be regarded as the same in principle and the jama’at will be valid.

Masaa’il related to number 4:

1. If the muqtadi is standing on the roof of the musjid and the imam is standing inside the musjid, this will be permissible. This is because the roof of the musjid is considered to be part of the musjid and both places will be regarded as one. Similarly, if someone’s roof is attached to the musjid and there is no barrier between the two, then that place will also be regarded as being part of the musjid. It will be permissible to stand on that roof and follow the imam who is in that musjid.
2. If a musjid or house is extremely large or one is in a jungle and there is such an open space between the imam and muqtadi wherein two saffs could stand – then both these places, i.e. where the imam is and where the muqtadi is standing, will be regarded as two separate places and it will not be permissible to follow the imam.
3. Similarly, if there is a river between the imam and the muqtadi and it is so large that a ship can sail on it, or there is such a large pond which the Shariah has ruled as being pure (in other words, the pond measures approximately ten square feet), or there is a public road on which an ox-wagon could pass – and there are no saffs in between, then these places will not be regarded as one and it will not be permissible to follow the imam.
4. Similarly, if there is such a river or such a road between two saffs, it will not be permissible for that saff which is on the other side to follow the imam.
5. It is not permissible for the one who is on foot to follow the person who is mounted. Nor is it permissible for a mounted person to follow another mounted person. This is so because both their places are not the same. However, if both of them are mounted on one animal, jama’at will be permissible.

5. The salaat of the imam and the muqtadi must be the same. If the salaat of the muqtadi is different from the salaat of the imam, it will not be permissible for him to follow the imam. For example, the imam is performing zuhr salaat and the muqtadi makes intention for asr salaat. Alternatively, the imam is performing qada for the zuhr of yesterday and the muqtadi makes intention for the zuhr of today. However, it will be permissible if both make the intention of qada for the zuhr of yesterday or both make the intention of qada for the zuhr of today. If the imam is performing a fard salaat and the muqtadi makes intention for nafl salaat, his following the imam will be valid because the salaat of the imam is “stronger”. If the muqtadi wishes to offer taraweeh salaat and the imam is offering nafl salaat, it will not be permissible to follow him because the imam’s salaat is “weaker”.

6. The salaat of the imam has to be valid. If the salaat of the imam becomes invalid, the salaat of all the muqtadis will also become invalid. This is irrespective of whether the invalidity becomes known while in salaat or after the completion of the salaat. An example of this is that there was najaasat-e-ghaleezah on the imam’s clothing which was in excess of a fifty-cent coin and he came to know of this after completing his salaat or while he was in salaat. Another example is that the imam did not have wudu and he only realized this after completing his salaat or while he was in salaat.

If the salaat of the imam becomes invalid due to some reason and the muqtadis do not come to know of this, it is necessary on the imam that as far as possible he should inform the muqtadis so that they could repeat their salaat. This is irrespective of whether he informs them by sending a message to them or by writing letters to them.

7. The muqtadi should not stand in front of the imam. He could stand in line with the imam or behind him. If the muqtadi stands in front of the imam, his following the imam will not be correct. Standing in front of the imam will be considered when the heels of the muqtadi are ahead of the heels of the imam. If the heels are not ahead, but the toes are ahead due to the muqtadi’s feet being bigger or his toes being longer, then this will not be regarded as being in front of the imam. In this case, his following the imam will be correct.

8. The muqtadi must have a knowledge of the movements of the imam. Movements such as the bowing, standing, prostrating and sitting postures. This knowledge could either be based on looking at the imam, listening to his voice, the voice of a mukabbir (person who conveys the takbirs of the imam when the congregation is generally very large and there is no mike system) or by looking at another muqtadi. If the muqtadi does not have knowledge of the movements of the imam, either because of a barrier between them or for some other reason, then his following the imam will not be correct. However, if there is a barrier such as a curtain or wall, but the muqtadi has knowledge of the movements of the imam, then following the imam will be correct.

If it is not known as to whether the imam is a musafir or not, but due to certain indications the muqtadi feels that he is not a musafir – on condition that he is in the city or town and he offers his salaat as a musafir, i.e. if it is a four rakaat salaat, he makes salaam after two rakaats, and the muqtadi suspects that this salaam of the imam is for sahw – then in this case, this muqtadi must complete his four rakaats and thereafter it will be wajib on him to find out about the state of the imam as to whether he made salaam because of sahw or because he was a musafir. If after finding out, he learnt that he was a musafir, his salaat will be valid. But if it was for sahw, the muqtadi will have to repeat his salaat. If the muqtadi did not make any inquiries but offered his salaat in that doubt and went away, then even in this case he will have to repeat his salaat.

If the muqtadi feels that the imam is not a musafir, and he is not performing his salaat in the city or town but out of it, and he performs the four rakaat salaat as a musafir – and the muqtadi suspects that the imam made salaam for sahw, then even in this case he should offer his full four rakaats and it will be better for him to inquire about the state of the imam. If he does not make any inquiries, his salaat will not become invalid. This is because the fact that the imam is outside the city or town shows that he is obviously a musafir. As for the muqtadi’s suspicion that he made salaam for sahw, this is not something that is obvious or apparent. Therefore, in this case it will not be necessary to make any inquiries.

Similarly, if the imam performs a four rakaat salaat in the city, town or in any jungle, etc. and the muqtadi suspects that he is a musafir – but the imam performs the full four rakaats, it will not be wajib on the muqtadi to make any inquiries. As for the fajr and maghrib salaats, under no circumstances will it be necessary to inquire as to whether the imam is a musafir or not. This is because the musafir and the muqeem are equal for these two salaats.

To put it briefly, it will only be necessary to make inquiries in one instance. That is, when the imam is in the city, town or some other place, and performs only two rakaats for a four rakaat salaat and the muqtadi suspects that he made salaam for sahw.

9. The muqtadi has to be with the imam in all the postures except the qira’at. This is irrespective of whether he carries them out with the imam, after the imam or before the imam – as long as the imam is with him till the end of that posture. Example of the first instance: he makes ruku, sajdah, etc. with the imam. Example of the second instance: the imam makes ruku and stands up. Thereafter the muqtadi makes ruku. Example of the third instance: he goes into ruku before the imam, but stays for so long in ruku that he even gets the ruku of the imam.

If the muqtadi is not with the imam in any particular posture, for example, the imam makes ruku and the muqtadi does not make, or the imam makes two sajdahs and the muqtadi only makes one, or he goes into a particular posture before the imam and does not get the imam till the end of that posture – for example, he goes into ruku before the imam and stands up before the imam can even go into ruku – then in all these cases, his following the imam will not be valid.

10. The state of the muqtadi must be inferior or equal to that of the imam. Examples are as follows:

1. The one who is able to stand can follow the person who is unable to stand and offer his salaat. In the Shariah, the sitting of one who is excused is equal to standing.
2. The one who has made wudu or ghusl can follow the one who has made tayammum irrespective of whether this tayammum was made for wudu or for ghusl. This is because the rule concerning tayammum, wudu, and ghusl is equal in tahaarat. One is not inferior or superior to the other.
3. The one who has washed his limbs can follow the one who has made masah irrespective of whether he made masah on his leather socks or on his bandage. This is because the one who washes and the one who makes masah are equal in purity. No one is higher than the other.
4. The one who is a ma’zur can follow another person who is also a ma’zur on the condition that both are ma’zur for the same reason. For example, both have the sickness of continuous dripping of urine or both have the sickness of continuous passing of wind.
5. An ummi can follow another person who is also an ummi on condition that there is no one who is a qari among the muqtadis.
6. Women and immature children can follow an imam who is mature and a male.
7. A woman can offer salaat behind another woman.
8. An immature male or immature female can follow an immature male.
9. A person who offers a nafl salaat can read behind one who is offering a wajib salaat. For example, a person has already offered his zuhr salaat and he goes and follows another person who is offering his zuhr salaat. Or, for example, a person has already offered his eid salaat and he goes and joins the jama’at again.
10. It is permissible for a person offering nafl salaat to follow another person who is also offering a nafl salaat.
11. A person who is offering a salaat of qasm (oath) can also follow one who is offering a nafl salaat. This is because the salaat of qasm is also regarded as a nafl salaat. For example, a person takes an oath that he will offer two rakaats of salaat and thereafter he goes and offers two rakaats of salaat behind a person who is offering a nafl salaat. His salaat will be valid and he would have fulfilled his oath.
12. It is permissible for the person who is offering the salaat of nazr (vow) to follow another person who is also offering the salaat of nazr on condition that the nazr of both is the same. For example, a person made a nazr and another person says that he is making the same nazr that the other person made. But if this is not the case and one person made a separate nazr for two rakaats for example, and the other person made some other nazr, then none of them can follow the other.

In brief, if the muqtadi is “inferior” or equal to the imam, his following the imam will be valid. We will now mention those instances when the muqtadi is “superior” to the imam, either with certainty or on the possibility that he is “superior” – whereby his following the imam will not be valid.

1. It is not permissible to follow an immature person irrespective of whether the person following is a male or a female.
2. It is not permissible to follow a female irrespective of whether the person following is a mature or immature male.
3. A hermaphrodite cannot offer salaat behind another hermaphrodite. A hermaphrodite is one in whom the male and female characteristics are so conflicting that it is difficult to say with certainty whether he is a man or a woman. This type of creation is very rare and infrequent.
4. A woman who does not remember the period of her haid cannot follow another woman who is like her. In both these instances, there is the possibility that the muqtadi is “superior” to the imam. It will therefore not be permissible to follow them. In the first instance, it is possible that the imam who is a hermaphrodite could be a female; and the hermaphrodite who is the muqtadi could be a male. Similarly, in the second case, it is possible that the woman who is the imam is in her period of haid while the one who is the muqtadi could be in her period of purity.
5. A hermaphrodite cannot follow a woman because there is a possibility of the hermaphrodite being a man.
6. A person who is conscious and in his senses cannot follow the person who is a lunatic, intoxicated, unconscious or mentally deranged.
7. A person who is taahir cannot follow one who is a ma’zur, eg. the person who has the sickness of continuous dripping of urine, etc.
8. A person who is ma’zur on account of one sickness cannot follow the one who is ma’zur on account of two sicknesses. For example, a person who passes wind continuously cannot follow the person who passes wind continuously and who also has the sickness of continuous dripping of urine.
9. A person who is ma’zur because of a particular type of sickness cannot follow the one who is ma’zur because of another type of sickness. For example, a person who has the sickness of continuous dripping of urine cannot follow one who has the sickness of continuous bleeding of the nose.
10. A qari cannot follow an ummi. In this context, a qari refers to that person who can read a certain amount from the Quran whereby salaat will be regarded as valid, and an ummi is one who cannot even do this.
11. It is not permissible for an ummi to follow another person who is also an ummi while there is another muqtadi who is a qari. This is because the salaat of the ummi imam will become invalid, since it was possible to make that qari the imam and his recitation would have been sufficient for all the muqtadis. But now that the ummi imam’s salaat has become invalid, all the other muqtadis salaat will also become invalid and among them was that ummi muqtadi as well.
12. It is not permissible for an ummi to follow a person who is dumb. This is because although the ummi cannot recite, he can still get the opportunity to learn while the dumb person does not have the power to even do this.
13. A person who has covered the necessary portions of his body cannot follow one who is naked.
14. A person who is able to go into ruku and sajdah cannot follow one who cannot execute these postures. It is also not permissible to follow one who cannot go into sajdah only.
15. It is not permissible for the one who is offering a fard salaat to follow the person who is offering a nafl salaat.
16. A person who is offering a salaat of nazr cannot follow the person who is offering a nafl salaat. This is because the nazr salaat is wajib.
17. A person who is offering a salaat of nazr cannot follow the person who is offering a salaat of qasm. For example, if a person takes a qasm that he will offer four rakaats of salaat today and another person had made a nazr for four rakaats. If the person who made the nazr follows this person, his salaat will not be valid because the salaat of nazr is wajib while that of qasm is nafl. This is because it is not wajib to fulfil the qasm. It is also possible for him to give kaffarah and not offer the salaat.
18. A person who can pronounce the letters clearly and correctly cannot follow the person who cannot pronounce the letters clearly. For example, he pronounces the “seen” as “thaa” or the “raa” as “ghayn” or any other similar mispronunciation. However, if he mispronounces one or two words in the entire recitation, it will be permissible to follow him.

11. The imam must not be a munfarid as a compulsion (wajibul infiraad). In other words, it is not permissible to follow a person who has to be a munfarid at that particular time. For example, the person who misses one or two rakaats of the congregation has to stand up and complete the rakaats which he missed. It is necessary for him to do this alone. So if another person goes and follows this person, his following him will not be valid.

12. The imam must not be a muqtadi of another person. In other words, a person who is a muqtadi himself should not be made an imam. This is irrespective of whether he is a muqtadi in reality, such as a mudrik; or he is a muqtadi in principle, such as a laahiq. The laahiq is regarded as a muqtadi in those rakaats which he did not offer with the imam. Therefore, if anyone follows a mudrik or laahiq, his following will not be permissible. Similarly, it will not be permissible for a masbuq to follow a laahiq or vice versa.

If any of these twelve conditions are not found in a muqtadi, then his following will not be permissible. And when the muqtadi’s following is not valid, then the salaat in which he followed someone will also not be valid.