If a worshiper enters the prayer after the imam has recited al-Fatihah, does he recite the opening supplication and al-Fatihah, or not?
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The questioner : If a worshiper joins after al-Fatihah, after the recitation of al-Fatihah, what does he do? I mean, when does he recite al-Fatihah?
If he enters his prayer after the imam has recited al-Fatihah?
The Shaykh : After the imam has recited al-Fatihah?
The questioner : And after the opening supplication, and he did not recite the opening supplication.
The Shaykh : It is done.
The questioner : When does he recite al-Fatihah?
The Shaykh : This question is harder than the previous one for some people. Perhaps you heard his last question. I told him: If I have answered your question, then fine; and if I missed something, remind me. I do not know if he is starting another question or reminding me of what I missed.
The important thing is that he is now saying: If the latecomer arrives and the imam is reciting from the surah, having already recited al-Fatihah—even if he pauses and those who are present recite during that pause—but he arrives while the imam is reciting some verses, what does he do?!
Harder than this question is the one where a person comes to the mosque and finds the imam bowing. This person has not caught any part of the recitation at all, neither al-Fatihah nor what comes after al-Fatihah!
So our answer is: Whoever catches the bowing has caught the unit of prayer. And I said at the beginning that this first hadith:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 247Sahih (Darussalam) is a general text with a specific exception, specifying two cases. You now see what they are:
The first case: If he hears the imam’s recitation, then the imam’s recitation is his recitation, so he does not recite al-Fatihah, and the obligation of al-Fatihah as a pillar is lifted from him.
The second case that is excepted from the generality of the first hadith: If he arrives and finds the imam bowing such that he cannot recite al-Fatihah, even in a secret prayer where he is obligated to recite al-Fatihah, then it came in an authentic hadith, which is among the rare authentic hadiths that Allah Mighty and Majestic granted us to discover some of the missing chains of from dozens, indeed hundreds, of printed and manuscript books. We found it in a manuscript of "The Questions of Imam Ishaq ibn Mansur al-Marwazi for Imam Ahmad and Imam Ishaq ibn Rahawayh". There, the hadith came in these questions with an authentic chain from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): : So, the one who arrives after the imam has finished reciting al-Fatihah and has begun reciting some verses has had the obligation of al-Fatihah as a pillar lifted from him, because the imam’s recitation is the recitation for those behind him.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
If he enters his prayer after the imam has recited al-Fatihah?
The Shaykh : After the imam has recited al-Fatihah?
The questioner : And after the opening supplication, and he did not recite the opening supplication.
The Shaykh : It is done.
The questioner : When does he recite al-Fatihah?
The Shaykh : This question is harder than the previous one for some people. Perhaps you heard his last question. I told him: If I have answered your question, then fine; and if I missed something, remind me. I do not know if he is starting another question or reminding me of what I missed.
The important thing is that he is now saying: If the latecomer arrives and the imam is reciting from the surah, having already recited al-Fatihah—even if he pauses and those who are present recite during that pause—but he arrives while the imam is reciting some verses, what does he do?!
Harder than this question is the one where a person comes to the mosque and finds the imam bowing. This person has not caught any part of the recitation at all, neither al-Fatihah nor what comes after al-Fatihah!
So our answer is: Whoever catches the bowing has caught the unit of prayer. And I said at the beginning that this first hadith:
There is no Salat for the one who does not recite Fatihatil-Kitab.
لا صلاة لمن لم يقرأ بفاتحة الكتابThe first case: If he hears the imam’s recitation, then the imam’s recitation is his recitation, so he does not recite al-Fatihah, and the obligation of al-Fatihah as a pillar is lifted from him.
The second case that is excepted from the generality of the first hadith:
There is no prayer
لا صلاةWhoever comes and finds the imam bowing, let him bow and count it as a unit of prayer, and whoever comes and finds the imam prostrating, let him prostrate and not count it as a unit of prayer
أن من جاء والإمام راكع فليركع وليعتد بالركعة، ومن جاء والإمام ساجد فليسجد ولا يعتد بالركعةThe questioner : May Allah reward you with good.