The Imam Sitting on the Prayer Mat after the Khutba

Question

The imam, having finished the khutba, sits down for a short while on the prayer mat, waiting for the mu’adhdhin’s words “qad qamat al-salat” (قد قامت الصلاة). Is this correct according to the Sacred Law or not, or is it a bid‘a (innovation in religion)?

Answer

It is a bid‘a: [ar]لِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَثْبُتْ مِمَّنْ يُقْتَدَى بِهِ[/ar] “because it is not established from those who are followed.”

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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