it is not required for them to wait for him if his forgetfulness was in an addition he performs. If they depart from him and perform the taslim (final salutation), their prayer is valid. This is the choice of al-Khallal. The second [report]: They follow him in standing, as a matter of preference (istihsan). The third [report]: They do not follow him, nor do they perform the taslim before him, but they wait for him to perform the taslim with them. This is the choice of Ibn Hamid. The first is more appropriate, because the Imam is mistaken in abandoning following them, so it is not permissible to follow him in error.

The second case: If they follow him out of ignorance regarding the prohibition of that, their prayer is valid, because the companions of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) followed him in the taslim in the hadith of Dhu al-Yadayn, and in the fifth [rak'ah] in the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud, yet their prayer did not become void. Al-Athram narrated with his chain of transmission from al-Zubayr that he prayed the Asr prayer, and when he finished with the taslim, a man from the people said to him (35): "O Abu Abd Allah, you prayed three rak'ahs." He said: "Is that so?" They said: "Yes." So he returned and prayed one rak'ah, then prostrated twice. From Ibrahim, he said: "Alqamah led us in the Dhuhr prayer for five [rak'ahs], and when he performed the taslim, the people said: 'O Abu Shibl, you prayed five.' He said: 'Nay, I did not.' They said: 'Yes, you did.' I was at the side of the people and I was a boy, so I said: 'Yes, you prayed five.' He said to me: 'O one-eyed one, are you saying that as well?' I said: 'Yes.' So he prostrated twice." They did not order those behind them to repeat [the prayer]. This indicates that their prayer did not become void by their following him.

Whenever the Imam acts upon his predominant thought, and the followers glorify Allah [to alert him], and he returns to them, his prostration is before the taslim because of the addition he committed in the prayer due to forgetfulness. Al-Athram said: I heard Abu Abd Allah being asked about a man who sat in the first rak'ah of the Fajr prayer, so they glorified Allah to alert him, and he stood up. When should he prostrate for forgetfulness? He said: "Before the taslim."

Section: If only one person glorifies Allah [to alert] the Imam, he does not return to his statement unless he is convinced of his truthfulness, in which case he acts upon his predominant thought, not upon his glorification; because the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) did not accept the statement of Dhu al-Yadayn alone. If corrupt persons (fussaq) glorify Allah [to alert him] (36), he does not return to their statement, because their statement is not accepted in the rulings of the Sharia.