Al-Kāfi - Volume 3 > Performing Salah (Prayer) Behind a Qualified Person, Recitation behind Him and His Responsibilities
Hadith #1

1ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ جَمِيعاً عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ خَلْفَ الإِمَامِ أَقْرَأُ خَلْفَهُ فَقَالَ أَمَّا الصَّلاَةُ الَّتِي لاَ يُجْهَرُ فِيهَا بِالْقِرَاءَةِ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ جُعِلَ إِلَيْهِ فَلاَ تَقْرَأْ خَلْفَهُ وَأَمَّا الصَّلاَةُ الَّتِي يُجْهَرُ فِيهَا فَإِنَّمَا أُمِرَ بِالْجَهْرِ لِيُنْصِتَ مَنْ خَلْفَهُ فَإِنْ سَمِعْتَ فَأَنْصِتْ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَسْمَعْ فَاقْرَأْ.

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Muhammad ibn ’Isma‘il from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan all from Safwan ibn Yahya from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Hajjaj who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, about performing Salah (prayer) behind an Imam if I must do the recitation. He (the Imam) said, ‘Salah (prayer) in which recitation is not aloud, it is assigned to him. So you do not recite behind him, and for Salah (prayer) in which recitation is done aloud, he is commanded to recite aloud so people behind him remain silent; thus, if you hear him, remain silent, and if you do not hear him, then you are to recite.”’



Hadith #2

2ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنِ الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ إِذَا صَلَّيْتَ خَلْفَ إِمَامٍ تَأْتَمُّ بِهِ فَلاَ تَقْرَأْ خَلْفَهُ سَمِعْتَ قِرَاءَتَهُ أَوْ لَمْ تَسْمَعْ إِلاَّ أَنْ تَكُونَ صَلاَةً يُجْهَرُ فِيهَا وَلَمْ تَسْمَعْ فَاقْرَأْ.

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Umayr from Hammad ibn ‘Uthaman from al-Halabiy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘If you perform Salah (prayer) behind one whom you follow, do not do the recitation behind him, regardless if you hear his recitation or not, except, when it is a Salah (prayer) in which recitation is done aloud and you do not hear then you are to recite.’”



Hadith #3

3ـ عَلِيٌّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنْ حَرِيزٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَحَدِهِمَا (عَلَيْهِما الْسَّلام) قَالَ إِذَا كُنْتَ خَلْفَ إِمَامٍ تَأْتَمُّ بِهِ فَأَنْصِتْ وَسَبِّحْ فِي نَفْسِكَ.

3. Ali has narrated from his father from Hammad from Hariz from Zurarah who has said the following: “One of the two Imam, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘If you perform Salah (prayer) behind an Imam whom you follow then remain silent and say Tasbih (Allah is free of all defects) to yourself only.’”



Hadith #4

4ـ وَعَنْهُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ عَنْ قُتَيْبَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ إِذَا كُنْتَ خَلْفَ إِمَامٍ تَرْتَضِي بِهِ فِي صَلاَةٍ يُجْهَرُ فِيهَا بِالْقِرَاءَةِ فَلَمْ تَسْمَعْ قِرَاءَتَهُ فَاقْرَأْ أَنْتَ لِنَفْسِكَ وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَسْمَعُ الْهَمْهَمَةَ فَلاَ تَقْرَأْ.

4. It is a narration from him (narrator of previous Hadith) by his father from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Mughirah from Qutaybah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said, ‘When you perform Salah (prayer) behind an Imam and are happy with him in Salah (prayer) of which recitation is to be read aloud and you do not hear his recitation, then recite to yourself, but if you hear a humming sound, do not recite.’”



Hadith #5

5ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ حَدِيدٍ عَنْ جَمِيلٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَحَدَهُمَا (عَلَيْهِما الْسَّلام) عَنِ الإِمَامِ يَضْمَنُ صَلاَةَ الْقَوْمِ قَالَ لاَ.

5. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn Hadid from Jamil ibn Darraj from Zurarah who has said the following: “I once asked one of the two Imam, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, if the Imam is responsible for Salah (prayer) of the people. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, he is not responsible.’”



Hadith #6

6ـ مُحَمَّدٌ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ حَرِيزٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ وَمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ قَالاَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) كَانَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) يَقُولُ مَنْ قَرَأَ خَلْفَ إِمَامٍ يَأْتَمُّ بِهِ فَمَاتَ بُعِثَ عَلَى غَيْرِ الْفِطْرَةِ.

6. Muhammad ibn Ahmad has narrated from Muhammad from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Hariz from Zurarah from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin would say, ‘One who recites when performing Salah (prayer) behind an Imam whom he follows and dies, he has died in a religion other than Fitrah (Islam).”’