Reciting suras in the prayer at the request of the followers

Question

There is an imam in our mosque. People tell him, “Today recite this sura, and today recite that sura!”, and he acts accordingly. How is this [viewed], is it permissible for the worshippers to say this or not, and will the prayer be valid or not?

Answer

The prayer will be valid, but the muqtadis (followers) should not bind the imam to their demands, and such an obligation is not binding on the imam either.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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