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
Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Call to Prayers (Adhaan)(view book)
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Once Allah's Apostle prayed two Rakat (instead of four) and finished his prayer. Dhu-l-yadain asked him whether the prayer had been reduced or whether he had forgotten. Allah's Apostle asked the people whether Dhu-l-yadain was telling the truth. The people replied in the affirmative. Then Allah's Apostle stood up, offered the remaining two Rakat 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.
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 ﷺ انْصَرَفَ مِنَ اثْنَتَيْنِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ ذُو الْيَدَيْنِ أَقَصُرَتِ الصَّلاَةُ أَمْ نَسِيتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " أَصَدَقَ ذُو الْيَدَيْنِ ". فَقَالَ النَّاسُ نَعَمْ. فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَصَلَّى اثْنَتَيْنِ أُخْرَيَيْنِ ثُمَّ سَلَّمَ، ثُمَّ كَبَّرَ فَسَجَدَ مِثْلَ سُجُودِهِ أَوْ أَطْوَلَ.
Classification
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet prayed two Rakat of Zuhr prayer (instead of four) and he was told that he had prayed two Rakat only. Then he prayed two more Rakat and finished them with the Taslim followed by two prostrations.
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ صَلَّى النَّبِيُّ ﷺ الظُّهْرَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، فَقِيلَ صَلَّيْتَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ. فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ سَلَّمَ ثُمَّ سَجَدَ سَجْدَتَيْنِ.