First: For the prayer to be valid when following the imam, whether inside or outside the mosque, one must be aware of the imam’s movements. This can be achieved through hearing the takbīrs (calls of “Allāhu Akbar”), seeing the imam, or seeing the actions of those praying directly behind the imam.
If a person cannot see the imam’s movements or hear his takbīrs, then the connection is considered broken, and they are not truly following the imam. However, when the rows are connected, it is sufficient to follow someone whose voice can be heard or whose movements can be seen, as one can then rely on trustworthy information, such as hearing the muballigh (person relaying the imam’s takbīrs) or observing the rows’ movements.
Second: Following the imam has different scenarios:
- If following within the mosque: In this case, the prayer is valid as long as the worshipper can hear the imam’s voice, even if they are physically separated from the imam, such as someone praying in a different room from the imam. This is the opinion of the majority of scholars, including the Ḥanafī, Mālikī (with the exception of Friday (Jumu῾ah) prayer), and Ḥanbalī schools.
These scholars consider the mosque, according to custom, to be a single entity, even if it has multiple rooms or floors. Hearing the imam’s voice is regarded as being similar to seeing him, which allows for valid following. Therefore, the prayer is valid whether there is a screen broadcasting the imam’s movements or not, and whether the rows are connected or not, since the mosque is treated as a single location.
Al-Ḥaskafī mentioned in Al-Durr (The Pearl) “A barrier does not prevent following the imam, as long as one is aware of the imam’s condition through hearing or seeing, even if it is through a crossed door [or a barrier] that blocks access, according to the most correct opinion, as long as the location is not genuinely different, like a mosque and a house.”
Ibn Qudāmah said: “The connection of the rows is not required if both (the imam and the followers) are in the mosque.”
Al-Nawawī said in Al-Majmū῾ (The Collection): “There are three scenarios for the imam and the follower’s location:
- If they are both in the mosque, then following is valid regardless of the distance between them, whether the mosque is large [or small], whether the building is unified or separate, like the courtyard, different rooms, basements, the roof, the field, or the minaret of the mosque, which are all parts of the mosque. The prayer is valid in all these cases and similar scenarios, as long as the follower is aware of the imam’s prayer, and they do not stand ahead of him, whether they are in a higher or lower floor. There is no disagreement on this, and our fellow scholars [referring to the Shāfi῾īs] reported a consensus of Muslims on it.”
- If following outside the mosque: For example, if the imam is in one building and the follower is in another that is not customarily considered part of the mosque, even if the prayer is broadcasted on a screen, scholars have differed on the conditions for the validity of the prayer.
The majority of scholars stipulate that the rows must be connected between the imam and the follower for the prayer to be valid, and that there should not be a significant barrier between them, such as a road or a large river. The Mālikī school makes an exception for small rivers and narrow streets.
The Shāfi῾ī school, in their most common view, limits the permissible distance for following the imam to 300 cubits, whether the prayer is held outdoors or in a building, or if the imam is inside the mosque and the follower is outside, as long as there is no large wall between them.
Ibn Taymiyyah held the view that prayer outside the mosque is valid even without connected rows if there is a necessity.
Based on this, if the gym and basement are connected to the mosque during the Friday (Jumu῾ah) prayer, and the worshippers are able to follow the imam either by connecting the rows, hearing the takbīrs, or following the broadcast on the screen, then the prayer is valid, considering the unity of the mosque and the connection with the imam. This is in accordance with the opinion of the majority of jurists.
Fatwa issued Dr. Khalid Nasr
