Saying the taslīm out loud when praying behind an Imām by Shaykh Ḥasan Ṣomālī

Question:

Answer:

The Permanent Committee was asked this question in “Lajnat Al-Dā’ima” when Shaykh Ibn Bāz (رحمه الله) was the president of this committee. They were asked,

هل يجوز رفع الصوت وراء الإمام بالتسليم من قبل المأمومين معًا؟ فإن كان الجواب لا، فما الدليل وما وجهه؟

“Is it permissible for those being led in prayer behind the Imām to raise their voices when saying the taslīm (saying “assalāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatullāh” at the end of the prayer)? If the answer is no, then what is the proof and what is the angle?” They responded by saying:

لا يجوز للمأمومين رفع أصواتهم بالتكبير في الصلاة عند الانتقال من ركن إلى ركن

“It is not allowed for those being led in the prayer to raise their voices when saying the takbīr (saying ‘Allāhu Akbar’) when moving from one pillar to another.

ولا رفع أصواتهم بالتسليم معًا

Nor is it allowed for them to raise their voices when saying the taslīm.

وإنما يكبر المأموم ويسلم بينه وبين نفسه؛

Instead, the only thing that is upon the one that is being led in the prayer when they say the takbīr and the taslīm is that they say it silently to themselves following the Salaf of this Ummah.

والتكبير في الصلاة عبادة والعبادة مبنية على التوقيف،

Saying the Takbīr in the prayer is an act of worship, and worship is restricted to the text (based upon Qur’ān and Sunnah),

وزيادة شيء فيها إحداث في الدين،

and adding something to it is innovating into the religion of Allāh.

وقد حذر النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم من الابتداع في الدين فقال

The Prophet ﷻ warned against innovating in the religion when he said in the authentic ḥadīth

 من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو رد .

 “Whoever innovates into this affair of ours (this religion of ours) that which is not from it, then it is rejected.” [Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Bukhārī 2697, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1718; muttafaqun ʿalayh]