The ruling on one who prays before the imam and then follows him

Question : A hurried man wanted to pray before the imam while he was in the front row, so he stood up and said the takbir. When he bowed, the imam arrived and the iqamah was called, so he waited for them in the bowing and intended to follow the imam. He then followed the imam and said the taslim with him. Does he owe anything?

Answer : First, is his prayer valid before the imam arrives? It is not valid unless he has an excuse for leaving the congregation, such as if he fears missing a flight, like a person on an airplane or something similar; in that case, there is no harm. Otherwise, it is not permissible to pray before the imam. Based on this, tell him that if this situation has occurred, he should repeat his prayer.