Is the one who joins the prayer late obligated to follow the imam in the prostration for forgetfulness after the closing salam?

The questioner : A man was one who joined the prayer late. After the imam recited the tashahhud, he did not perform the prostration for forgetfulness and said the salam to the right. The ma'mum stood up to complete the rak'ah he had missed. Then the imam prostrated after he had said the salam, and the ma'mum was standing. What is required of the ma'mum?

The Shaykh : He has to go back and follow the imam.

The questioner : He goes back and follows the imam.

The Shaykh : Yes, this is an answer to the question, but as guidance, it is not befitting for the ma'mum who joined late to stand up from the tashahhud immediately after the imam's first salam. He should wait until he hears the other salam, because this other salam indicates that the prayer is complete, one hundred percent, especially given the custom of mosque imams today. Knowing that the earth is inhabited, and even if they are contrary to the Sunnah, why are you laughing? ... Look how it is, because it is from the Sunnah that the imam sometimes shortens it to only the first salam, but mosque imams today do not know this Sunnah; they are ignorant of it, or they are ignorant of it and do not do it. And why do they not do it? By Allah, we say that Allah is All-Knowing of what is in the breasts, whether out of hypocrisy or to avoid fitnah or something similar, right or not? We cannot say that so-and-so does not do this with a bad intention; Allah knows his intention. So, since the norm for mosque imams today is that they do not exit the prayer except with two salams, this one who joined late does not stand up to complete his prayer until he hears the other salam. As for if he hears the first salam, there is a possibility here that the man intends to prostrate the prostration for forgetfulness, so he should not rush, so that he does not make the mistake of standing up and then going back like this. But if he does stand up, he must correct his mistake and follow his imam.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good. If the imam does not remember except after the second salam, and then he remembers?

The Shaykh : He said the second salam, the prayer ended. The prayer ended here, so the one who joined late owes nothing; he remains here. Because we know from the story of Dhu al-Yadayn (may Allah be pleased with him), when he prayed behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) the 'Asr prayer, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed it as two rak'ahs and said the salam, and he moved to a side of the mosque, placing one foot on the other, and the people were silent and stunned. Dhu al-Yadayn said, "O Messenger of Allah, was the prayer shortened or did you forget?" He said , he said, "Yes." So he looked at his companions, among them Abu Bakr and 'Umar, they said, "Yes." When the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said the salam from the prayer, the point is: the people quickly exited the mosque. What did they want? They thought the prayer was shortened, Allah shortened the prayer, and the matter was over. While this discussion or debate was taking place between the Messenger and his companions, the majority of the people who were rushing exited without looking at anything. When the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was assured of the presence of those who remained by his saying: , they said, "Yes." So he returned to his place and prostrated the two prostrations of forgetfulness, and he performed two rak'ahs, then prostrated two prostrations of forgetfulness and said the salam. The point here is that it is not established, nor is it reported at all, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to those who exited quickly that they must either repeat the prayer or make up two rak'ahs.

The questioner : As for those who were with him?

The Shaykh : Of course, those who were with him prayed with him.

The questioner : My teacher, the second hypothesis you mentioned, the ma'mum is still in the mosque...

The Shaykh : Yes, but my answer is that the imam ended his prayer with the second salam, so he is not obligated to return to the prayer and pray with the imam, just as those others are not obligated to do so. Yes.