The latecomer in prayer: If his imam prostrates for forgetfulness, how should he act if it is before or after the closing salam?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : He says: “Your Eminence, the prostration for forgetfulness has a state after the salam and a state before the salam. I hope you will detail the situation of the follower if he is a latecomer. Does he follow the imam and prostrate when he completes his prayer? I hope for details to resolve the confusion I and my brothers have.”
The Shaykh : A latecomer means one who missed part of the prayer. If the imam prostrates before the salam, it is obligatory for him to prostrate with him, because he cannot stand to make up what he missed until after the imam’s salam. So he prostrates with him, following him. When he finishes his prayer, we look: if the imam’s forgetfulness occurred before the latecomer joined him, there is no prostration for him, because he did not forget and did not catch the imam in his forgetfulness. But if the imam’s forgetfulness was in the part of the prayer in which he caught up with him, he must prostrate before he says the salam, because the prostration for forgetfulness that was before the completion of the prayer was merely following his imam. As for if the imam’s prostration is after the salam, he does not follow him. Rather, when the imam says the salam from his prayer, this latecomer stands and makes up what he missed. Then, if the imam’s forgetfulness for which he prostrated was before the follower caught up with him, there is no prostration for this follower, because he did not forget and the imam’s forgetfulness did not occur while he was with his imam. But if it was in the part where he caught up with the imam, then when he makes up what he missed, he says the salam, then prostrates two prostrations after the salam and says the salam.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : We are discussing the follower: if the imam prostrates before the salam, he prostrates with him.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : If he does not know whether it was before he caught up with him or not, the precaution is to prostrate, and it does not harm him if he prostrates.
The Shaykh : A latecomer means one who missed part of the prayer. If the imam prostrates before the salam, it is obligatory for him to prostrate with him, because he cannot stand to make up what he missed until after the imam’s salam. So he prostrates with him, following him. When he finishes his prayer, we look: if the imam’s forgetfulness occurred before the latecomer joined him, there is no prostration for him, because he did not forget and did not catch the imam in his forgetfulness. But if the imam’s forgetfulness was in the part of the prayer in which he caught up with him, he must prostrate before he says the salam, because the prostration for forgetfulness that was before the completion of the prayer was merely following his imam. As for if the imam’s prostration is after the salam, he does not follow him. Rather, when the imam says the salam from his prayer, this latecomer stands and makes up what he missed. Then, if the imam’s forgetfulness for which he prostrated was before the follower caught up with him, there is no prostration for this follower, because he did not forget and the imam’s forgetfulness did not occur while he was with his imam. But if it was in the part where he caught up with the imam, then when he makes up what he missed, he says the salam, then prostrates two prostrations after the salam and says the salam.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : We are discussing the follower: if the imam prostrates before the salam, he prostrates with him.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : If he does not know whether it was before he caught up with him or not, the precaution is to prostrate, and it does not harm him if he prostrates.