The traveler who prays behind a resident imam
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When a traveler prays behind a resident imam, does he have the option to shorten the prayer, or is it obligatory for him to complete it? And what is the ruling for one who shortened the prayer behind a resident imam for five prayers?
It is obligatory for the traveler who prays behind a resident imam to complete the prayer,Due to the generality of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): (The imam was made to be followed) and because the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to pray behind the Commander of the Faithful, 'Uthman ibn 'Affan (may Allah be pleased with him), during Hajj in Mina. He would pray four rak'ahs with them, and they would pray four rak'ahs with him;And because Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) was asked: regarding a traveler who prays two rak'ahs when alone and four rak'ahs with the imam,He said: [that is the Sunnah] .
This is clear if the traveler joins the imam from the beginning of the prayer, but if he catches up with him for the last two rak'ahs, does he conclude the prayer, since he has prayed two rak'ahs and his obligation is two rak'ahs, or does he complete what remains?We say: He completes what remains, so he completes four rak'ahs due to the generality of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): (So whatever you catch up with, pray, and whatever you missed, complete) ; and because the follower in this state has his prayer linked to the imam, so he must follow him even in what he missed.
As for one who did this in the past, where he used to pray two rak'ahs behind a resident imam, it is obligatory for him to repeat the prayers he offered immediately and consecutively, and it is not as some common people understand, that if a person has multiple missed prayers, he prays each one at the time of its kind,Meaning: if he missed five prayers, for example, he prays Zuhr with Zuhr, 'Asr with 'Asr, Maghrib with Maghrib, 'Isha' with 'Isha', and Fajr with Fajr, and that is not the case; rather, he prays them consecutively at one time.
It is obligatory for the person who shortened the prayer with a resident imam to repeat those prayers even if he did not know; because if he had known, he would have sinned, but now the sin is dropped from him because he did not know, but his conscience is burdened with the prayers he missed, so he must investigate the number of prayers he prayed and strive in that and repeat them.
It is obligatory for the traveler who prays behind a resident imam to complete the prayer,Due to the generality of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): (The imam was made to be followed) and because the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to pray behind the Commander of the Faithful, 'Uthman ibn 'Affan (may Allah be pleased with him), during Hajj in Mina. He would pray four rak'ahs with them, and they would pray four rak'ahs with him;And because Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) was asked: regarding a traveler who prays two rak'ahs when alone and four rak'ahs with the imam,He said: [that is the Sunnah] .
This is clear if the traveler joins the imam from the beginning of the prayer, but if he catches up with him for the last two rak'ahs, does he conclude the prayer, since he has prayed two rak'ahs and his obligation is two rak'ahs, or does he complete what remains?We say: He completes what remains, so he completes four rak'ahs due to the generality of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): (So whatever you catch up with, pray, and whatever you missed, complete) ; and because the follower in this state has his prayer linked to the imam, so he must follow him even in what he missed.
As for one who did this in the past, where he used to pray two rak'ahs behind a resident imam, it is obligatory for him to repeat the prayers he offered immediately and consecutively, and it is not as some common people understand, that if a person has multiple missed prayers, he prays each one at the time of its kind,Meaning: if he missed five prayers, for example, he prays Zuhr with Zuhr, 'Asr with 'Asr, Maghrib with Maghrib, 'Isha' with 'Isha', and Fajr with Fajr, and that is not the case; rather, he prays them consecutively at one time.
It is obligatory for the person who shortened the prayer with a resident imam to repeat those prayers even if he did not know; because if he had known, he would have sinned, but now the sin is dropped from him because he did not know, but his conscience is burdened with the prayers he missed, so he must investigate the number of prayers he prayed and strive in that and repeat them.