Can the Imam depend on the people's saying if he is in doubt (about a certain matter)?
باب هَلْ يَأْخُذُ الإِمَامُ إِذَا شَكَّ بِقَوْلِ النَّاسِ
699
Sahih Bukhari
Sahih
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ بْنِ أَبِي تَمِيمَةَ السَّخْتِيَانِيِّ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِيرِينَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم انْصَرَفَ مِنَ اثْنَتَيْنِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ ذُو الْيَدَيْنِ أَقَصُرَتِ الصَّلاَةُ أَمْ نَسِيتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَصَدَقَ ذُو الْيَدَيْنِ " فَقَالَ النَّاسُ نَعَمْ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَصَلَّى اثْنَتَيْنِ أُخْرَيَيْنِ ثُمَّ سَلَّمَ، ثُمَّ كَبَّرَ فَسَجَدَ مِثْلَ سُجُودِهِ أَوْ أَطْوَلَ
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Once Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) prayed two rak`at (instead of four) and finished his prayer. Dhul-Yadain asked him whether the prayer had been reduced or whether he had forgotten. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) asked the people whether Dhul-Yadain was telling the truth. The people replied in the affirmative. Then Allah's Apostle stood up, offered the remaining two rak`at and then finished his prayer with Taslim and then said, "Allahu Akbar." He followed it with two prostrations like ordinary prostrations or a bit longer.
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 714 In-book : Book 10, Hadith 109 USC-MSA web (English) : Vol. 1, Book 11, Hadith 682 (deprecated)
Help us gift a modern, ad-free Islamic application for the Muslim Ummah. Your donation will be recorded as Sadaqah Jariyah in your book of deeds, In Sha Allah.