Praying Behind An Imam Who Makes A Mistake

December 25, 2025 adminsr

Last updated on January 7th, 2026 at 09:35 am

Prayer (Salah) is one of the five pillars of Islam; hence, it is of great significance. Like any other act of worship, prayer also has some essentials, such as “Qiyaam” (Standing), “Ruku” (Bowing), “Sujood” (Prostration), and recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha. While prayer may be performed individually under certain conditions, it is obligatory for adult men to perform it in a mosque and, more importantly, in congregation behind an Imam (leader of prayer). When praying behind an Imam, the individual is strictly required to follow him, as mentioned in Hadith 722 of Sahih Al-Bukhari.

Translation

The Imam is (appointed) to be followed. So do not differ from him, bow when he bows, and say, “Rabbana-lakal hamd” if he says “Sami`a l-lahu liman hamidah”; and if he prostrates, prostrate (after him), and if he prays sitting, pray sitting all together, and straighten the rows for the prayer, as the straightening of the rows is amongst those things which make your prayer a correct and perfect one.

There is no second opinion that one must follow the Imam when praying behind him. But what to do when the Imam makes a mistake in prayer? It is one of the most important and sensitive matters concerning congregational prayer.

Keep reading this blog to understand the ruling on praying behind an Imam who makes a mistake.

Ruling On Praying Behind An Imam Who Makes a Mistake

As a general rule, when praying behind an Imam, followers are not affected or burdened by unintentional mistakes committed by the Imam. This issue is sufficiently settled in Hadith 694 of Sahih Al-Bukhari.

Translation

if the Imam leads the prayer correctly then he and you will receive the rewards but if he makes a mistake (in the prayer) then you will receive the reward for the prayer and the sin will be his.

However, mainly there are two types of mistakes. Some mistakes do not invalidate prayer, whereas others render it invalid. The rulings for these two situations differ. There may be various types of mistakes an Imam may make while leading a prayer, sometimes due to forgetfulness and sometimes due to difficulty pronouncing a particular Quranic word, and so on. Rulings for followers praying behind that Imam vary depending on the nature of the Imam’s mistakes.

Here are some of the most common mistakes an Imam may make while leading a prayer:

A Minor Mistake That Does Not Invalidate Prayer

There might be many minor mistakes that an Imam may commit while leading the prayer. Some of these minor mistakes are:

There is a slight variation in the pronunciation of some of the words that do not alter their meanings.
An Imam may forget to perform a Sunnah during prayer, such as raising the hands at a particular stage.
An Imam may have forgotten a word or part of a Quranic Surah, or may have repeated a verse or word in an attempt to recall the correct verse.

It is a consensus among scholars that such minor mistakes do not invalidate prayer; the prayer of the Imam and that of his followers remains valid and does not require repetition. In this scenario, the followers should continue to follow the Imam and pray in congregation.

Mistake In Reciting A Verse or Word That Alters The Meanings

Recitation of Quranic verses in prayer is necessary, especially Surah Al-Fatiha, which has to be recited invariably in every Rakat of a prayer. Ideally, the Imam should be well-versed in the correct recitation of Quranic verses. However, one can always make a mistake, and so does the Imam. If the wrong pronunciation of a Quranic verse results in a change in the meaning, it is considered a serious lapse. Similarly, the Imam may sometimes make a grammatical error that alters the verse’s message. Any such mistake also constitutes a serious lapse.

Scholars hold that if the Imam immediately recognizes such a mistake and corrects it, he may continue leading the prayer, as his prayer remains valid. Another possibility is that any follower may notice this lapse by the Imam. In this case, he may correct the Imam verbally; if the Imam accepts the correction, the prayer remains valid and should be continued in congregation.

Mistake By The Imam When He Forgets Any of The Essential Pillars (Rukan) Of Prayer

As mentioned above, Standing, Bowing, Prostration, and Recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha are the essential pillars (Rukans) of a prayer. If the Imam forgets any of these essentials, it is yet another serious mistake. In this case, scholars are in consensus that if the Imam makes such a mistake but corrects it upon realization, or performs Sujood As-Sahw (prostration of forgetfulness), the prayer may be continued, as it remains valid. The followers are also required to follow the Imam in performing the prostration of forgetfulness. Hadith 1225 of Sahih Al-Bukhari narrates this type of mistake in prayer as follows:

Translation

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) got up after the second rak`a of the Zuhr prayer without sitting in between (the second and the third rak`at). When he finished the prayer, he performed two prostrations (of Sahu) and then finished the prayer with Taslim.

Mistakes By The Imam Invalidating The Prayer

There are some more serious types of mistakes that an Imam may commit while leading a prayer. He may lose ablution (wudu) while leading the prayer. He may forget one of the essential pillars of the prayer and not correct it. Similarly, he may make a mistake in reciting a Quranic verse that alters its meaning altogether, but neither he nor any of his followers corrects him.

These are serious mistakes that invalidate prayer for both the Imam and the followers. Hence, they must repeat the prayer. However, if, upon realizing such a mistake, the followers separate themselves from the congregation, correct the mistake, and complete their prayer individually, their prayer remains valid and does not require repetition. However, some scholars recommend that the Imam and the congregation both repeat the prayer.

Mistakes By An Imam Known To Make Frequent Mistakes

Due to some incapacity, an Imam may commit similar mistakes repeatedly; otherwise, he is remembered as an upright and righteous person. He may lack the skills of proper recitation or make such mistakes due to insufficient knowledge. While praying behind such an Imam is allowed, it is considered “disliked” (makruh). Another view in such cases is that if any of the followers is more literate than the Imam, praying behind him is not permitted, and the more knowledgeable person should lead the prayer. Hadith 673c of Sahih Muslim clarifies this issue as follows:

Translation of relevant part

The one who is well grounded in Allah’s Book and is distinguished among them in recitation should act as; Imam for the people. and if they are equally versed in reciting it, then the one who has most knowledge regarding Sunnah.

Conclusion

While prayer is among the five pillars of Islam, offering it in congregation for adult men behind an Imam is also mandatory. The Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ also defined the qualities that a person must possess to become the Imam, as narrated in Hadith 673a and 673c of Sahih Muslim. Accordingly, the Imam must be well-versed in the recitation of the Quranic verses. However, being a human, the Imam may commit mistakes due to forgetfulness. If the mistake does not invalidate the prayer and the Imam corrects it, as permitted in Islamic Jurisprudence, the prayer may be continued and does not require repetition.

But if the mistake is of a serious nature, such as reciting a Quranic verse wrongly that leads to a different meaning, the prayer will stand invalid, and both the Imam and his followers will have to repeat that prayer. However, if the Imam recognizes the mistakes and corrects them, the prayer may continue without repetition. May Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ bless us to perform religious obligations correctly and strictly as permissible in the Islamic Jurisprudence.