What is your opinion regarding a traveler who prayed behind a resident, thinking he was a traveler, and he caught up with him in the third rak'ah, thinking it was the first? When the traveler said the closing salam, they told him that
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The Shaykh : And this one says—Ahmad, Ahmad al-Ghamidi—what is your opinion if a traveler prays behind a resident, thinking he is a traveler, and he catches up with him in the third rak'ah, thinking it is the first? Then when the traveler says the closing salam, they tell him, "What is it?"
The questioner : The imam is a resident.
The Shaykh : The imam is a resident. So, does he complete the four rak'ahs, or does he restart the prayer, or is his prayer sufficient?
We say: He restarts the prayer, because he said the closing salam on the basis that it was a two-rak'ah prayer, not on the basis that it was a four-rak'ah prayer, and he said the salam before its completion, so he restarts the prayer.
The parallel to this—may Allah bless you—is if one prays the midday prayer and is distracted, or if he has a make-up prayer for the dawn prayer, yes, and then he says the salam from the first two rak'ahs on the basis that it is the dawn prayer, and then he remembers that it is the midday prayer. Does he complete it or not?
He restarts, because he said the salam on the basis that the prayer had ended, not on the basis that it was a four-rak'ah prayer; he said the salam before its completion, yes.
The questioner : The imam is a resident.
The Shaykh : The imam is a resident. So, does he complete the four rak'ahs, or does he restart the prayer, or is his prayer sufficient?
We say: He restarts the prayer, because he said the closing salam on the basis that it was a two-rak'ah prayer, not on the basis that it was a four-rak'ah prayer, and he said the salam before its completion, so he restarts the prayer.
The parallel to this—may Allah bless you—is if one prays the midday prayer and is distracted, or if he has a make-up prayer for the dawn prayer, yes, and then he says the salam from the first two rak'ahs on the basis that it is the dawn prayer, and then he remembers that it is the midday prayer. Does he complete it or not?
He restarts, because he said the salam on the basis that the prayer had ended, not on the basis that it was a four-rak'ah prayer; he said the salam before its completion, yes.