If a worshipper arrives at the prayer for rain and finds the imam delivering the sermon after the prayer, should he pray the two rak'ahs of the prayer for rain or sit down? And does it become excused for him if he missed it, or does he make it up? And when does he make it up? And likewise in the prayer for the festival?
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The questioner : If a worshipper arrives at the prayer for rain and finds the imam delivering the sermon after the prayer, should he pray the two rak'ahs of the prayer for rain or sit down? And does it become excused for him if he missed it, or does he make it up? And when does he make it up? And likewise in the prayer for the festival?
The Shaykh : If a person comes to the prayer for the festival or to the prayer for rain and the imam is delivering the sermon, he should not sit down until he prays two rak'ahs. This is because the place of prayer for the festival is a mosque, as the Hanbali jurists (may Allah have mercy on them) explicitly stated, and as is apparent from the Sunnah, where the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered women to go out for the prayer for the festival, and ordered menstruating women to stay away from the place of prayer. This indicates that the place of prayer for the festival has the rulings of mosques. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Sahih al-Bukhari 1167.
So if you enter the mosque, the mosque of the festival, and the imam is delivering the sermon on the day of the festival or on the day of the prayer for rain, do not sit down until you pray two rak'ahs. And if you intend with them to make up the prayer for the festival, then you say the takbirs of the festival. And likewise, if you intend with them to make up the prayer for rain, then you say the takbirs, because the Sunnah of the prayer for rain is like the Sunnah of the prayer for the festival.
The Shaykh : If a person comes to the prayer for the festival or to the prayer for rain and the imam is delivering the sermon, he should not sit down until he prays two rak'ahs. This is because the place of prayer for the festival is a mosque, as the Hanbali jurists (may Allah have mercy on them) explicitly stated, and as is apparent from the Sunnah, where the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered women to go out for the prayer for the festival, and ordered menstruating women to stay away from the place of prayer. This indicates that the place of prayer for the festival has the rulings of mosques. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
If anyone of you enters a Mosque, he should not sit until he has offered a tworak` at prayer.
إذا دخل أحدكم المسجد فلا يجلس حتى يُصلي ركعتينSo if you enter the mosque, the mosque of the festival, and the imam is delivering the sermon on the day of the festival or on the day of the prayer for rain, do not sit down until you pray two rak'ahs. And if you intend with them to make up the prayer for the festival, then you say the takbirs of the festival. And likewise, if you intend with them to make up the prayer for rain, then you say the takbirs, because the Sunnah of the prayer for rain is like the Sunnah of the prayer for the festival.