The ruling on following in prayer one who prayed alone and then was joined by others

The questioner : Regarding the hadith of one who gives charity to his brother, does it imply that several obligatory prayers are performed behind a voluntary one?

The Shaykh : No, it is the opposite, Doctor. Several voluntary prayers behind the obligatory one. On Thursday, when the man entered to pray alone, he is the one performing the obligatory prayer, and the one who stood and prayed behind him is the one performing the voluntary prayer. Do I remember the hadith or not? Yes. Because naturally, the one performing the voluntary prayer is the person who was praying, yes. So the validity of the question is: Is it permissible for several people performing voluntary prayers to pray behind the one performing the obligatory prayer, not several people performing obligatory prayers behind the one performing the voluntary prayer? So, after correcting the question, it is not permissible.

The questioner : Okay, for example, if one person, after giving charity to his brother, naturally started the prayer, and they were alone, but then people entered and formed a row with them, how did they become the ones starting the prayer?

The Shaykh : Does he know the reality of the congregation or not?

The questioner : Sometimes it happens that, for example...

The Shaykh : You have to visualize it, like this, like this, because every scenario has its answer. Do you see how this scenario is and how that scenario is? They differ. So if those who enter know that this is not the regular congregation, they must pray alone, especially if they... they need to pray the obligatory prayer, because did they miss the congregational prayer? These people do not come as a second congregation. And the one who established the congregation in the hadith you referred to in the question, the one who established the congregation or by whom the congregation was formed, is the one performing the voluntary prayer. So in short, if those who enter know that this is not the regular congregation, they pray alone. If they do not know, they are excused and they pray.

The questioner : As for the imam giving them a signal that they should not join him.

The Shaykh : If there is a place to signal to him, like what sometimes happens when a person who is late (masbuq) in the regular congregational prayer stands up to pray, and a latecomer follows him, he must give him a signal that I am not his imam. Sometimes it happens that two people are late, so one stands up. And a person on his right looks at the one on his left with a look of favor or knowledge and intends to follow him. He notices that whenever he bows, he bows with him, and whenever he prostrates, he prostrates with him. This is a predicament. And here, if I want to give him a signal that he understands, he remains silent about it many times. But as for the one who wants to resume following, he gives him a signal from which he understands that he is far from it.

The questioner : Is it known, our Shaykh, that you have the statement of Ibn Taymiyyah when he says with this statement about following one who is late in the congregation?

The Shaykh : What?

The questioner : I mean, he says this congregation is permissible.

The Shaykh : We do not call for that. The important thing is that the practical Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not have this occur, despite the fact that people are exposed to such things, naturally, after the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), from the Companions and the Successors. As for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), we know a story that occurred, as in Sahih al-Bukhari, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) at the time of Fajr to relieve himself, and al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah was with him. He asked him for a water vessel, meaning a container with water in it. He asked him when he was performing ablution.
The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) went to relieve himself, then came to perform ablution. Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah said: I poured water for his ablution. He was wearing his leather socks, so al-Mughirah understood that he should remove them, but he said to him: Leave them, for I put them on in a state of purity, and he wiped over them.
Then they went to the mosque. They were traveling, but nevertheless, the Companion said to the mosque, meaning the mosque they had designated for prayer in that place. And the Companions had naturally gathered in that mosque. When they found that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was delayed, they brought forward 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf, and he prayed as their imam. Then the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) came while they were still in prayer. Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah understood that he should alert the imam that the Messenger had arrived. So he signaled to him to leave, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and his companion followed them.
And when the imam concluded the prayer, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up to perform the rak'ah that he had missed. But it was not mentioned in the hadith that al-Mughirah followed him. And this is the most suitable opportunity.
First, to complete the virtue of the congregation in the opinion of those who permit this congregation. First, and second, regarding the prayer behind the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) or following him (peace and blessings be upon him). The non-occurrence. On this occasion, it is evidence of non-legitimacy.
And for this reason, we always and forever say that we must take our fiqh from the Sunnah of our Prophet and our righteous Salaf, who witnessed the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) with their own eyes, not like our story from afar, or without a doubt, they are more knowledgeable about the biography of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) from A to Z. So for this reason, we differ with Ibn Taymiyyah in that statement.