What is the ruling on praying behind the imam? How to pray behind the imam?
The person who prays by following the imam is called ‘’muqtadi’’ or ‘’mu’tamm’. The muktedi can be separated into two:
- Mudriq: This is the person who prays every rakah of the salat with the imam. The person who intends to pray the salat and says the takbir and bows down for the ruqu before the imam has straightened up from the first ruqu, they will be considered to have caught up to that rakah.
- Masbuq: This is the person who follows the imam after he has bowed down for the ruqu in the first rakah. The masbuk, will stand up and continue to pray to make up for the rakahs he did not pray after the imam says the salam. But if he has caught up with the imam for the sitting of the second rakah for a four or two rakah prayer, or if he has caught up to a section that is less than one rakah (for example if he has caught up to the last tashahhud) he will stand up and give takbir after the imam has said the salam.
When the masbuq stands up, he will pray the qaza of the rakahs he has missed in terms of recitation, and he will add on to the rakahs he has prayed in terms of action. According to this, the masbuq will pray the rakahs that he could not pray with the imam in terms of the qiraat and this will be considered as the first rakahs of his salats. And he will consider the parts he prayed with the imam to be his last rakahs. He will consider the sections he prayed with the imam in terms of action as his first rakahs, and he will consider the sections he prayed later as the last rakahs of the salat.
Source: Fiqh1 (According To The Maliki School Of Islamic Law), Erkam Publications
