He says: If a traveler prays as a follower in a four-rak'ah prayer behind a resident imam, and he missed the first two rak'ahs, is it permissible for him to suffice with the last two rak'ahs?
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The questioner : He says: If a traveler prays as a follower in a four-rak'ah prayer behind a resident imam, and he missed the first two rak'ahs, is it permissible for him to suffice with the last two rak'ahs with this imam, considering it a shortened prayer? Or if he caught the prayer from its beginning, is it permissible for him to sit after the second rak'ah until the imam finishes his prayer, so that he says the taslim with him and his prayer is considered shortened? Or is he obligated to follow his imam in every state?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. This person is asking about the traveler: if he prays behind a resident, is he obligated to complete the prayer, or is it permissible for him to limit it to two rak'ahs? The answer is that it is obligatory for the traveler, if he follows a resident, to complete his prayer, whether he caught the imam at the beginning of the prayer or only caught the last two rak'ahs. This is due to the generality of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih al-Bukhari 1236 and his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih al-Bukhari 635 And because Ibn Abbas was asked about the traveler who is behind an imam praying four rak'ahs, and he said: And the saying of a Companion regarding a matter: that it is from the Sunnah, or that this is the Sunnah, has the ruling of being elevated to the Prophet. So it is obligatory for the traveler, if he follows a resident, to complete four rak'ahs, whether he entered with the imam at the beginning of the prayer, or in the third rak'ah, or in the fourth. As for the reverse, if the resident prays behind a traveling imam, it is obligatory for him to complete four rak'ahs after the traveling imam says the taslim. So if the traveling imam prays two rak'ahs and you are a resident, then when he says the taslim, complete what is required of you.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The questioner : This is a question from the listener Y S G from Jeddah.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. This person is asking about the traveler: if he prays behind a resident, is he obligated to complete the prayer, or is it permissible for him to limit it to two rak'ahs? The answer is that it is obligatory for the traveler, if he follows a resident, to complete his prayer, whether he caught the imam at the beginning of the prayer or only caught the last two rak'ahs. This is due to the generality of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
The Imam is to be followed
إنما جعل الإمام ليؤتم بهand pray whatever you get (with the people) and complete the rest which you have missed
ما أدركتم فصلوا، وما فاتكم فأتمواThat is the Sunnah
تلك هي السنّةThe questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The questioner : This is a question from the listener Y S G from Jeddah.