Which Way the Imam Should Sit Facing after Prayers Not Followed by Nafl

Question

After those prayers which are not followed by an emphasized sunna, which way should the imam turn: to the right, to the left, or towards the muqtadis (followers)? Zayd says he should turn to the right, while ‘Umar says he should turn towards the muqtadis. Which of these views is correct, and on which view is the fatwa?

Answer

All three ways are correct; binding oneself to any one of them is not correct. Turning to the right side, so that the qibla comes to be on one’s left, is preferable (awla). [ar]وَعَقِبَ الْفَرْضِ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ بَعْدَهُ نَافِلَةٌ يَسْتَقْبِلُ النَّاسَ إِنْ شَاءَ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي مُقَابَلَتِهِ مُصَلٍّ، كَمَا فِي الصَّحِيحَيْنِ: «كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِذَا صَلَّى أَقْبَلَ…

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.