Section: If he enters prayer as a follower, then becomes an Imam, or transfers his intention to follow another Imam, it is permissible in one instance: when the Imam is suddenly afflicted by a hadath (ritual impurity), and appoints a successor to complete the prayer for them, and we have already mentioned this. It is not valid in any other case, unless two people catch a portion of the prayer with the Imam, and when he performs the taslim, one of them follows his companion for the remainder of the prayer; there are two scholarly views (wajhan) regarding this. If each of them intends that he is the Imam of the other, or a follower of him, their prayer is invalid, due to what we mentioned previously. If the Imam (50) intends to follow someone else, it is not valid except in one instance: if the Imam appoints a successor to lead the prayer, then arrives during the course of the prayer and moves forward to become the Imam again, building upon the prayer of his deputy. There are three narrations regarding this which we have already mentioned.

262 - Issue: He said: "And whoever catches the Imam bowing and performs bowing outside of the row, then walks until he enters the row, while he is unaware of the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to Abu Bakrah: 'May Allah increase your keenness, but do not do it again.' It is said to him: Do not do it again. His prayer is considered sufficient, but if he repeats it after the prohibition, his prayer is not sufficient." Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) stated this in the narration of Abu Talib.

In summary, whoever bows outside of the row and then enters it, there are three scenarios for him:

Either he prays a complete unit (rak'ah), in which case his prayer is not valid, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "There is no prayer for an individual behind the row" (1). The second is that he shuffles while bowing until he enters the row before the Imam raises his head from bowing, or someone else comes and stands with him before the Imam raises his head from bowing; his prayer is valid because he has attained with the Imam in the row that which allows him to count the unit. Among those who permitted a man's bowing outside of the row were Zayd ibn Thabit, and it was done by Ibn Mas'ud, Zayd ibn Wahb, Abu Bakr ibn Abd al-Rahman, Urwah, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, and Ibn Jurayj.