The latecomer’s counting of the imam’s extra fifth rak'ah

Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, if a ma'mum (one praying behind the imam) misses a rak'ah, and the imam adds a fifth rak'ah, for example, in a four-rak'ah prayer, does that suffice for him so that he prays one rak'ah, and the extra one is dropped?

Answer:
This is a matter of scholarly disagreement among the scholars: does the latecomer count the extra rak'ah or not? The school of thought that will come to us, if Allah wills, is that he does not count it, because it is not considered valid for the imam, so it is not considered valid for the ma'mum. This is the well-known position in the school. The second opinion is that it is permissible to count it, because it is permissible for the imam, but it does not become permissible for the ma'mum; so he counts it. Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahman al-Shay'i (may Allah have mercy on him) brought this in *Majmu'at al-Thawab* regarding the opinion, but the first is more cautious.