Standing behind the imaam if there are no other muqtadis
Q: I started performing salaah with the imaam and because another person was just there, I stood behind the imaam expecting the other person to join the salaah as well. But that person went to perform wudhu and we completed the whole salaah in this manner.
1. Is my salaah valid?
2. Should I have moved forward to go to the right of imam when I felt the other person will be late?
3. Is moving forward during salah permissible and how much can one walk forward before the salaah becomes invalid?
A:
1. The salaah is valid. However, you have left out the sunnah. In the situation where there is only one muqtadi with the imaam, the sunnah is that he should stand on the right side of the imaam. He should not stand behind the imaam.
2. You should have commenced the salaah standing next to the imaam and not behind him. However, after commencing salaah behind him, when you realized, you should have moved forward.
3. Moving one saff ahead will not invalidate the salaah as long as you are behind the imaam.
And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
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