How does a worshiper catch up with the congregational prayer? Is it by catching up with one rak'ah with the imam, or by catching up with the imam before the taslim?
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The questioner : We conclude this episode with a question from a Sudanese listener to the program, who asks: How does a worshiper catch up with the congregational prayer? Is it by catching up with one rak'ah with the imam, or by catching up with the imam before the taslim?
The Shaykh : The correct view is that the congregation is not caught up with unless one catches up with a complete rak'ah, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)Muwatta Malik 1:15 As for if one catches up with less than a rak'ah, he is better than one who caught up with nothing, but it is not said that he caught up with the full reward of the congregation, because the hadith indicates that one who catches up with less than a rak'ah has not caught up with the prayer. But how is the catching up with the ruku' defined? Or rather, how is the catching up with the rak'ah defined? We say that the catching up with the rak'ah occurs if one catches up with the imam in his ruku', meaning if you enter, say the takbirat al-ihram while standing, then bow, and you catch up with the imam before he rises from the ruku', then you have caught up with the rak'ah.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Here I pause to point out this issue, for some people, when they arrive and the imam is in ruku', they hurry and say the takbir while they are bending down into the ruku', so they say the takbirat al-ihram while bent over, not standing. This is not valid. Rather, it is obligatory to say the takbirat al-ihram while standing. Also, some people may intend with this takbir the takbir of the ruku' and be distracted from the takbirat al-ihram. If one intends with it the takbir of the ruku' and is distracted from the takbirat al-ihram, then his prayer is not established, because the prayer is not established except with the takbirat al-ihram.
So it is obligatory for us to pay attention to two things. The first thing is to intend with the takbir the takbirat al-ihram.
The second thing is to say the takbir while we are standing upright, and then after that we bend down into the ruku'. If we say the takbir during this bending down, it is better, and if we do not say the takbir, there is no blame on us.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah magnify Allah.
The Shaykh : The correct view is that the congregation is not caught up with unless one catches up with a complete rak'ah, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
Whoever catches a raka of the prayer has caught the prayer.
من أدرك ركعة من الصلاة فقد أدرك الصلاةThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Here I pause to point out this issue, for some people, when they arrive and the imam is in ruku', they hurry and say the takbir while they are bending down into the ruku', so they say the takbirat al-ihram while bent over, not standing. This is not valid. Rather, it is obligatory to say the takbirat al-ihram while standing. Also, some people may intend with this takbir the takbir of the ruku' and be distracted from the takbirat al-ihram. If one intends with it the takbir of the ruku' and is distracted from the takbirat al-ihram, then his prayer is not established, because the prayer is not established except with the takbirat al-ihram.
So it is obligatory for us to pay attention to two things. The first thing is to intend with the takbir the takbirat al-ihram.
The second thing is to say the takbir while we are standing upright, and then after that we bend down into the ruku'. If we say the takbir during this bending down, it is better, and if we do not say the takbir, there is no blame on us.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah magnify Allah.