Catching a Rak'ah by Catching the Ruku'
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The questioner : Your Eminence! Some of the brothers do not consider catching the bowing (ruku') as catching the unit of prayer (rak'ah). They justify this by saying that the hadith regarding the recitation of al-Fatihah is in al-Bukhari, whereas this one is in other collections. What is your opinion?
Some scholars hold: Reciting al-Fatihah is obligatory in every unit of prayer. Even if a latecomer catches the imam in the bowing, he should say the takbir and bow with the imam, but he does not count that unit. This view is undoubtedly weak. It is weakened by the hadith of Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him), in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him when he informed him that he had hurried to catch the imam in the bowing:He said to him: “May Allah increase your eagerness, but do not do it again.” If he had not caught the unit, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have ordered him to make it up. The Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) silence regarding making it up indicates that catching the bowing means catching the unit. This is from the perspective of the report.
As for the perspective of reasoning, it is said: When is the recitation of al-Fatihah required? In what state? Standing is now dropped due to the obligation of following the imam, so the obligatory remembrance attached to it is also dropped.
And this is the correct view: If a person catches the bowing, he has caught the unit.
Some scholars hold: Reciting al-Fatihah is obligatory in every unit of prayer. Even if a latecomer catches the imam in the bowing, he should say the takbir and bow with the imam, but he does not count that unit. This view is undoubtedly weak. It is weakened by the hadith of Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him), in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him when he informed him that he had hurried to catch the imam in the bowing:He said to him: “May Allah increase your eagerness, but do not do it again.” If he had not caught the unit, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have ordered him to make it up. The Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) silence regarding making it up indicates that catching the bowing means catching the unit. This is from the perspective of the report.
As for the perspective of reasoning, it is said: When is the recitation of al-Fatihah required? In what state? Standing is now dropped due to the obligation of following the imam, so the obligatory remembrance attached to it is also dropped.
And this is the correct view: If a person catches the bowing, he has caught the unit.