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Fatwa CenterFollowing the Imaam in all his actions
Question
My question is that if a person following the Imaam in prayer and does not act all the way the Imaam acted. For example, if the Imaam delays (sitting of rest) in between the first and next Raka'h and raising his hands with Takbeer while still sitting and the follower did not observe same, instead he stand up from Sajdah and did not say Takbeer until when he is fully standing. What happens to the followers' prayer as I understand that there are some Hadeeth of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, which says one should follow the Imaam in every act of prayer as he (Imaam) is the leader.
In looking at the above example, that is the practice of the Imaam and that of the follower, which of these actions is the best and most acceptable one as Salat is concern? May Allah reward you for your effort in guiding the Ummah.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
The people led in prayer by an Imaam should follow him when bowing, prostrating, and in all other movements of the prayer, and they are forbidden from preceding him, as the Prophet 
said: "The Imaam of the congregation is there only to be followed." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] The Prophet also said: "Do not precede me when bowing, or prostrating, or standing up or when finishing the prayer." [Muslim] Another Prophetic narration reads: "Does not one of you fear that if he raises his head before the Imaam, Allaah will turn his head into the head of a donkey, or make his image like that of a donkey." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 85130.
As regards the sitting for rest (between the two prostrations), the people led in prayer should follow the Imaam if he observes it, for the general meaning of the Prophetic narration: "The Imaam of the congregation is there only to be followed." However, if the congregation did not observe the sitting for rest like the Imaam, there is no harm on them as the sitting for rest is only recommended and if one fails to observe it, it is not considered an aberrant error, as Ibn Hajar Al-Haytami
said. Nonetheless, if the congregation do not follow the Imaam, and he precedes them when standing up [i.e. they delay in following him], then they are wrong but their prayer is valid.
With regard to what is best, what the Imaam did [observing the sitting for rest], or what the congregation did [in not observing it], then the sitting for rest is a confirmed Sunnah of the Prophet and whoever does it imitating the Prophet he will be rewarded.
For more details on the sitting for rest, please refer to Fatwa 86323.
Allaah Knows best.
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