Praying Alone in the Mosque Before the Imam

Question

One day at Fajr, while waiting for the imam, I prayed alone. Before that too I would sometimes pray alone, because after the fard prayer I recite a certain litany and the like. The imam kept forgiving me for this, but that day he did not forgive. Doubt arose in my heart. That day I also prayed ‘Asr alone, [to see] whether the imam would say anything or not, but he said nothing. One of the followers (muqtadis) asked the imam about me: why did he pray alone?

Answer

Praying alone even before the congregation for the sake of reciting one’s regular litany is a great mistake and a deprivation [of reward]. Likewise, praying alone without an excuse merely [to test] whether the imam will ask or not is also a mistake. One must never do this.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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