The ruling on the prayer of a latecomer behind an imam who added to the prayer, and who joined him from the beginning of the prayer before the addition
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The questioner: Your Eminence! A man caught up with the 'Asr prayer, but he had missed two rak'ahs of it. The imam made a mistake and performed two extra rak'ahs beyond the prayer. Does he say the taslim with the imam whom he caught up with, or does he perform what he missed of the prayer? What is the ruling on the two extra rak'ahs in the prayer? Are they invalid? If they are invalid, does that mean the latecomer prayed two invalid rak'ahs, or valid ones?The Shaykh: Adding two rak'ahs to the prayer invalidates the prayer if it is done intentionally. In fact, even if it were one rak'ah, or one prostration, it would invalidate it. However, if it was due to forgetfulness, the prayer is not invalidated. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he prayed the Zuhr prayer with five rak'ahs. When he said the taslim, it was said to him: "Did you add to the prayer?" He said, "What is that?"They said: "I prayed five." So he bent his legs, then prostrated two prostrations, then said the taslim.Then he said to them: "If anything had happened in the prayer, I would have informed you of it."
And as for the one who joined the imam after the imam had prayed two rak'ahs,Then, if the imam makes a mistake and adds two rak'ahs, we say to him: he says the taslim with the imam, because you have prayed four, and it is not permissible for you to add.The imam, we said: He is forgetful and unaware, and there is no blame on him. But you cannot add, not even one prostration, to the prayer.
But I say to you: May Allah reward you! Is this a real situation?Meaning: Is it possible for a person to pray two extra rak'ahs without noticing or being alerted? Adding one rak'ah is possible, but to pray two rak'ahs while the people are behind him and they do not notice him! That is far-fetched! The questioner: But is the one who is leading in this case required to leave out the first tashahhud?The Shaykh: He leaves out the first tashahhud following his imam. Are you not, if you joined the imam in the second rak'ah of the Zuhr prayer, going to perform a tashahhud in a place where it is not due, and leave a tashahhud in its proper place?
Have you imagined this, people? I came and the imam had prayed one rak'ah in the Zuhr prayer, so I joined him. When does the imam sit? He sits for me in the first rak'ah, and in the second rak'ah for me, he stands. So you find that I performed the tashahhud in places where it is not due, and left the tashahhud in its proper place, all of this in following the imam.
And as for the one who joined the imam after the imam had prayed two rak'ahs,Then, if the imam makes a mistake and adds two rak'ahs, we say to him: he says the taslim with the imam, because you have prayed four, and it is not permissible for you to add.The imam, we said: He is forgetful and unaware, and there is no blame on him. But you cannot add, not even one prostration, to the prayer.
But I say to you: May Allah reward you! Is this a real situation?Meaning: Is it possible for a person to pray two extra rak'ahs without noticing or being alerted? Adding one rak'ah is possible, but to pray two rak'ahs while the people are behind him and they do not notice him! That is far-fetched! The questioner: But is the one who is leading in this case required to leave out the first tashahhud?The Shaykh: He leaves out the first tashahhud following his imam. Are you not, if you joined the imam in the second rak'ah of the Zuhr prayer, going to perform a tashahhud in a place where it is not due, and leave a tashahhud in its proper place?
Have you imagined this, people? I came and the imam had prayed one rak'ah in the Zuhr prayer, so I joined him. When does the imam sit? He sits for me in the first rak'ah, and in the second rak'ah for me, he stands. So you find that I performed the tashahhud in places where it is not due, and left the tashahhud in its proper place, all of this in following the imam.