Which way to face after the prayer

Question

[ar]وضو کند بر همان نماز بنا کند، اگر منفرد باشد واز سرنو نماز خواندن افضل است، واگر امام باشد خلیفه گیرد، وضو کند وداخل مقتدیان شود، ومقتدی وضو کرده باز آید بمکان که آنجا بود[/ar] “…he performs wudu’ and builds (bina’) upon the same prayer; if he is praying alone (munfarid), then praying anew is better; and if he is the imam, he appoints a successor (khalifa), performs wudu’ and joins the followers (muqtadis); and the muqtadi, having performed wudu’, comes back to the place where he was.” (1)

Answer

(1) For the munfarid, starting the prayer anew (isti’naf) is better in this situation: it is his own, individual matter. For the imam, appointing a successor (khalifa) is better: there are other people behind him, and their prayer too is bound up with his.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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