How do we reconcile the scholars' disagreement regarding the limits of what one must catch to be considered part of the congregation with the statement that one who comes to the mosque and does not catch the congregation has still caught its reward?

The questioner : The scholars have differed on the issue of when a person catches the congregational prayer, as you know. Is it by prostration, by a unit of prayer, or by some part of it, as I have heard you say once? And now you are saying that even if he did not catch it.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : Meaning he catches its reward.

The Shaykh : Yes, that is correct. I do not say it that way; I say it this way: the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). So, your question should be: How do we reconcile?

The questioner : How do we reconcile?

The Shaykh : Between this and that, the answer is: It is known to scholars and students of knowledge that the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), reported in the two Sahihs, is: .

The questioner : By Allah, my Shaykh, if you would please, repeat the hadith because it got cut off.

The Shaykh : In the hadith narrated byThe Shaykh : In the two Sahihs, from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . In another narration in Sahih Muslim: , ; why? He said (peace be upon him) so that you know the difference between the two narrations. The first narration says: , and the other narration says: . He intended a bad deed, but he did not do it. The second narration says: . Why? The answer is: . Allah says: As for this one who intended a bad deed but did not do it, write it for him as a good deed because he left it out of fear of Allah. As for the first narration, , it is from the category of protection. Do you not find a person who thought about going to the cinema, for example, reached for his pocket, found no money, did not go to the cinema, and no bad deed was written for him because he did not do it, did not go to the cinema? But another person reached for his hand, found [money], then remembered his Lord, feared, and left it, and his intention of the bad deed was written as a good deed. When we know this fact, we must always and forever remember that good deeds are multiplied. It varies from ten to seven hundred to many times over, and Allah multiplies for whom He wills. Since we mentioned the hadith and established that one who is keen to maintain the congregational prayer, only the first congregation and no other, as it is said, and then for a reason that occurred to him which he did not intend, as came in your first question.