Completing the prayer of the traveler after the resident, even if he catches only one rak'ah
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May Allah reward you. I say: A traveler who is on his way wants to pray in congregation in a mosque, and the imam of this mosque is a resident. He wanted to pray the 'Asr prayer with them but did not catch anything but the fourth rak'ah. So, when the imam concludes the prayer, does he complete three rak'ahs, or one rak'ah with the intention of shortening?
If he catches the imam in the last rak'ah, it is obligatory for him to complete four rak'ahs, due to the generality of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family): (So whatever you catch, pray, and whatever you miss, complete) [And because Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) was asked: What is the matter with the traveling man who prays two rak'ahs, while with the imam he prays four?So he said: That is the Sunnah] .
So based on this: If you catch an imam praying four rak'ahs, even if it is during the tashahhud, and you join him, it is obligatory for you to complete four. If this questioner, for example, had already prayed two rak'ahs and then learned of this ruling, he must repeat the prayer now as four rak'ahs.
If he catches the imam in the last rak'ah, it is obligatory for him to complete four rak'ahs, due to the generality of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family): (So whatever you catch, pray, and whatever you miss, complete) [And because Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) was asked: What is the matter with the traveling man who prays two rak'ahs, while with the imam he prays four?So he said: That is the Sunnah] .
So based on this: If you catch an imam praying four rak'ahs, even if it is during the tashahhud, and you join him, it is obligatory for you to complete four. If this questioner, for example, had already prayed two rak'ahs and then learned of this ruling, he must repeat the prayer now as four rak'ahs.