The one who is late for the prayer by one or two rak'ahs: does he receive the full reward?

Machine translationRead the Arabic original

Question : He says: A man leaves one or two rak'ahs with the congregation, and cites the statement: "Whoever catches up with the imam for one rak'ah has caught up with the congregation." Is this correct?

Answer : This is a great deprivation. It is true that he has fulfilled what is obligatory upon him, but it is a great deprivation. And let not this person forget the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)

When you hear the Iqama, proceed to offer the prayer

إذا سمعتم الإقامة فامشوا إلى الصلاة

Sahih al-Bukhari 636

So he commanded walking to the prayer immediately upon hearing the iqamah, and he did not say to you: wait until only one rak'ah remains. And there is no doubt that what drives the one who waits until only one rak'ah remains is laziness.
And rising to the prayer with laziness is among the characteristics of the hypocrites, as Allah the Exalted said about them:

And when they stand for prayer, they stand lazily, showing [themselves to] the people and not remembering Allah except a little,

وَإِذَا قَامُوا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ قَامُوا كُسَالَىٰ يُرَاءُونَ النَّاسَ وَلَا يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا

[An-Nisa 4:142]

So this man should be active.
In performing the prayer. And he should rise as soon as he hears the iqamah, and if he advances before that, it is more complete.

Source قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، 225- الذي يتأخر عن الصلاة ركعة او ركعتين هل يأخذ الأجر كاملا /سؤال على الهاتف /ابن عثيمين — youtube.com

The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.

Flag this fatwa