Question Summary:
Please can you show me the correct way of performing salaah behind the imam…

Question Detail:

Please can you show me the correct way of performing salaah behind the imam and if the procedure is different for every salaah, i.e do we recite the same parts in all the salaahs. Let’s suppose I am praying Zuhr behind the imam. When the imam says the first takbir, i.e when he starts the salaah, do we also say ‘Allahu Akbar’ aswell. Then do we recite Subhanakallahumma until walaaillaha kharuk and also A’aoozo billah and Bismillah? Do we then remain silent or do we recite surah fatiha and a short surah after that.
when the imam goes into ruku and says Allahu akbar, do we also say allahuakbar? Similarlry when the imaam goes into sajdah and says allahuakbar, do we say it too?
 

Answer :

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh
a) The mudrik (the person who joins the imam from the beginning) cannot make any qiraat. The quiraat of the imam is sufficient for all the muqtadees ( those who are following the imam. According to the Hanafi school of thought, it is makruh for the muqtadi to make qiraat behind the imam.
b) It is fardh on the masbuq (a person who missed some rakats behind the Imam) to make qiraat for the rakaats which he missed.
c) It is wajib on the imam and the munfarid (a person who reads his salaah alone) to make qiraat softly in all the rakaats of Zuhr and Asr. (Behishti Zewar)
d) The muqtadees (followers) should raise their hands to say takbeer-e-tahreema together with the imam. (Tahtaawi, Pg. 140) He should ensure that he does not finish his takbirs before the Imam.
e) It is Sunnah to recite the Thana. (I’laaus-sunnan Vol 2, Pg. 174-177)

And Allah knows best
Wassalam
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah