Joining the imam in any situation

One should join the imam in any situation he is in

If one enters the mosque and the imam is prostrating, should he join him in prostration or wait until he gets up?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,

All the Praise is to Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala. Peace and Blessings be upon Prophet Muhammad His Messenger.

The evidence in the sahih ahādith of Abu Hurayrah, Abu Qatadah, and Mu’adz stipulates if one enters the mosque and finds in midst of praying, he should join him regardless of any situation he is in, whether he is standing, bowing, prostrating or between prostrations.

Abu Hurayrah (Radiallahu’anhu) who reported that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said:

“If you come to prayer and we are prostrating, then prostrate, but do not regard it as anything. Whoever catches up with a rak’ah has caught up with the prayer.”

[Narrated by Abu Dawud, 893; classified as hasan by al-Albani in Sahih Abi Dawud]

Abu Qatadah (Radiallahu’anhu) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said:

“When you come to prayer you must be dignified. Whatever you catch up with, performed it, and whatever you miss, complete it.”

[Narrated by al-Bukhari, 635]

[Fath al-Bari, 1/118]

Mu’adz ibn Jabal who reported, the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said:

“When one of you comes to the prayer and the imam is in any position, let him follow what the imam is doing.”

[Narrated by al-Tirmidzi, 591; classified as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih al-Tirmidzi]

Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar (rahimahullah) said: “This is the reference as evidence that it is mustahab to join the imam in whatever position he is found.”

This is the Sunnah of the way to the one who enters the mosque and finds the imam praying, based on the evidence in the texts.

Ibn Hazam (rahimahullah) narrated that there was scholarly consensus on this point. He said; if a person comes and the imam has already done some of the prayer, a little or a lot, and there is nothing left but the salaam, he should join him and do the same as he finds him doing, unless he has decided to catch up with the congregation in another mosque.

[Maratib al-Ijma’ (p. 25)]

Ibn Qudamah (rahimahullah) said: It is mustahab for the one who catches up with the imam in any position to follow him in that, even if it will not count as anything for him. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said:

“When you come to prayer you must be dignified. Whatever you catch up with, prays, and whatever you miss, complete it.”

[Narrated by al-Bukhari, 635]

Then Ibn Qudamah said: This is what is to be done according to the scholars, who said: If a man comes and the imam is prostrating, let him prostrate, but that rak’ah will not count for him. Some of them said: perhaps by the time he raises his head, he will have been forgiven.

[Al-Mughni (2/184)]

There are some people who, if they enter the mosque and find that the imam is prostrating or is between the two prostrations, they do not join him until he stands up for the second rak’ah or until they know that he is reciting the tashahhud, then they sit with him. Such a person has deprived himself of the benefit of prostration, as well as going against what is indicated by the evidence quoted above.

It is stated in the Tuhfat al-Ahwadzi: Let him follow what the imam is performing, i.e., let him join the imam whether he is standing, bowing or whatever. He should not wait for the imam to stand up as the common folk do.

[Tuhfat al-Ahwadzi (2/199); Ahkam Hudur al-Masjid, p. 138-139 by Shaykh ‘Abdallah ibn Salih al-Fawzan]

The imam is reciting the final tashahhud

The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas were asked about a man who enters the mosque when the imam is in the final rak’ah. Should he join them or wait until he have completed?

The scholars replied: What is prescribed in such situation is that you to join them. Whatever you catch up with, pray with them, and whatever you miss, make it up. If you join them after they stand up from bowing in the last rak’ah, then join them and make up the entire prayer after the imam says the Salam.

This is in accordance to the hadith of Abu Qatadah (Radiallahu’anhu) who said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said:

“When you come to prayer you must be dignified. Whatever you catch up with, prays, and whatever you miss, complete it.”

[Narrated by al-Bukhari, 635]

[Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas :‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn ‘Abdallah ibn Baaz, ‘Abd al-Razzaq ‘Afifi, ‘Abdallah ibn Qa’ ud, ‘Abdallah ibn Ghadyaan].

The scholars of the Standing Committee were also asked: What is most appropriate if a man enters the mosque and the imam is reciting the final tashahhud; should he join him in the tashahhud or is it better to wait for some other people to come so that they can pray together?

They replied: It is better for him to join the imam, because of the general meaning of the hadith: “Whatever you catch up with, pray, and whatever you miss, make it up.”

[Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn ‘Abdallah ibn Baaz, ‘Abd al-Razzaq ‘Afifi, ‘Abdallah ibn Qa’ ud]

[Fatawa al-Lajnah al-Da’imah, 7/312-323]

Allah Almighty Knows Best.

[Adapted from the Fatwa No: 46811 Islam Q&A]