The Conflict Between the Texts of “Tadhkirat al-Rashid” and “Tadhkirat al-Khalil” on Giving Salam Before the Imam

Question

If a muqtadi finishes the words “al-salamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullah” before the imam, will the prayer become invalid or not? If it will not, then what is the meaning of the text and footnote written in “Tadhkirat al-Rashid”, p. 179? The text is as follows: “I conclude this heading with the issue which Hazrat Imam Rabbani ﵋ stated with the utmost concern, saying that those who hear it should convey it to others. Ordinary people are heedless of it, and this heedlessness is causing them much harm.

Answer

If the muqtadi began his own salam after the imam had finished the word “al-salam”, his prayer is valid, even if he finished “wa rahmatullah” before the imam: [ar]وَتَنْقَضِي قُدْوَةٌ بِالْأَوَّلِ قَبْلَ «عَلَيْكُمْ»

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.