Q: I inform your Eminence that I live in a Non-Muslim country, in Italy. I have been destined to live there for a period of time, as is the case of many Muslims. I have found a Masjid (mosque) there where Jumu`ah (Friday) Prayer is performed while the other Five daily prayers are not, this is because the Masjid is not accredited by the government, as Italy embraces the Vatican which is the headquarters of Christianity all over the world. When I entered the Masjid to perform Jumu`ah Prayer, I heard the Imam saying when rising from Ruku` (Bowing): Rabana wa Laka Al-Hamd (O our lord! All praise is for You). It was very odd for me to hear him saying it out loud instead of saying "Sami`a Allahu liman Hamidah" (Verily, Allah listens to whoever praises him). At this time, I told the Imam: "I have prayed many times behind Muslim Scholars, but they used to say when rising from Ruku`: "Sami`a Allahu liman Hamidah", where did you get this from? He then told me: It is a Sunnah, and mentioned the Hadith wording: Whoever revives a Sunnah (of the Prophet), will gain the reward of doing it and the reward of those who will pattern after them till The Day of Resurrection. I told him: It is not Sunnah, for if it was so, I would have heard it from Ahl Al-Sunnah (Those adhering to Sunnah of the Prophet), especially that Allah has blessed me with Hajj. I left Italy and returned again in 1980, I also looked it up in some books but never found this, he told me that he read it in [Mukhtasar Sahih Muslim], Hadith number 296, page 84, I then looked with him at the Hadith and told him that: what I understood that this Hadith is of the Hadiths of supplications in Salah (prayer), as the Hadiths preceding it mentions (Part No. 6; Page No. 431) this. He replied: 'No' insisting on his view. Afterwards, I knew that he is adopting the thoughts of one of the people existing in Egypt, whom he believes is Al-Mahdy Al-Muntazhar, and that person (in Egypt) prays in this manner. In fact, I saw a lot of young Muslims adopting the same thought. There, I told him that: "We shall arbitrate to one of the Muslim Scholars", and we agreed to send to your Eminence. Thus, I hope that you would clarify this matter as soon as possible, for many Muslims have started doubting the validity of their Salah behind this Imam. Is it permissible to perform prayer behind this Imam, if this is not proven to be reported from the Messenger (peace be upon him)? How valid is this opinion? Is it an act of Bid`ah (innovation in religion) or a Sunnah as this man claims? I hope that you will clarify this in detail so as to be assured of praying behind this Imam, for most of the Muslims there always ask him about the legal opinion in many affairs in Islam. Besides, we do not have any references here for judgments, even the books we have, are very few in a way that a Muslim is not able to refer to them.

A: The Hadith of Abu Sa`id Al-Khudry (may Allah be pleased with him) in which he said: Whenever the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) raises his head after bowing, he used to say: "Rabana Laka Al-Hamd Mil'u Al-Samawati W-Al-Ardh" (O! Our Lord, to You be the praise that would fill all the heavens and earth). Is mentioned in [Mukhtasar Sahih Muslim] and it indicates that the Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah) is to be uttered when rising from Ruku', and after the Imam says "Sami`ah Allahu Liman Hamidah", it was also narrated in the Two Sahihs (Authentic Books of Hadith) (i.e. Al-Bukhari and Muslim) from the Hadith of (Part No. 6; Page No. 432)  Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) in which he said: When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stood for prayer, he would say the Takbir (Allah-u-Akbar - Allah is the Greatest) when standing, then say the Takbir when bowing. After that, he would say: "Sami` Allahu Liman Hamidah (Verily, Allah listens to whoever praises Him)," when coming to the erect position after bowing, then say while standing: "Rabbana wa-laka Al-Hamd (O! Our Lord, All praise is for You)." and it is mentioned in [Mukhtasar Muslim] numbered 274 page 78. This Hadith indicates that what is meant in the narration of Abu Sa`id Al-Khudry is saying: Rabbana wa-laka Al-Hamd after saying: Sami`a Allahu Liman Hamidah, this shows that saying "Rabbana wa laka al-Hamd" after rising from Ruku' instead of "Sami`a Allahu Liman Hamidah" is an act of Bid`ah that includes changing the Adh-kar in Salah from their right places where it should be recited.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.