Keabsahan Salat Imam yang Duduk dan Sifat Salat Makmumnya: Studi Komparatif Empat Mazhab

The Validity of Prayer Led By A Seated Imam and The Posture of The Followers: A Comparative Study of The Four Schools of Islamic Law

Abstract

This study aims to identify the views of the four schools of Islamic law concerning the legal evidence and methods of legal deduction (istinbāṭ) regarding the validity of congregational prayer led by a seated imam and the appropriate posture of the followers. This study employs library research using normative and comparative approaches. Data were drawn from books, classical Islamic jurisprudential works, and other relevant sources. The findings reveal differences of opinion among the four schools. The Hanbali school adopts a middle-ground position: congregational prayer is valid when led by a regular imam who sits due to a valid excuse and is expected to recover, in which case the followers must adopt the imam’s posture. However, if the imam begins the prayer standing and later sits due to an excuse, the followers should remain standing. This position is derived by reconciling several hadiths and āṡār. The Hanafi and al-Shāfi‘ī schools maintain that congregational prayer led by a seated imam remains valid, but the followers must remain standing, whether the imam sits from the beginning or during the prayer. This view is based on the hadith narrated by ‘Ā’ishah (ra.), which is understood to have abrogated the earlier hadith. In contrast, the Māliki school considers such a prayer invalid and requires the imam with a valid excuse to be replaced, based on reports attributed to Jābir al-Ju‘fī and ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Rabī‘ah. In contemporary practice, the use of a chair or wheelchair does not alter the underlying ruling, as the determining criterion is the imam’s ability to perform the essential pillars of the prayer. To avoid disputes, an imam with a permanent disability is advised to appoint a substitute who is able to stand. This study is expected to serve as a reference for the Muslim community, particularly mosque administrators, in developing guidelines for situations in which an imam unexpectedly sits during the prayer.