The latecomer who doubts the number of rak'ahs and another person joins him: is it permissible for him to follow him in preferring one number of rak'ahs?
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The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you. If a latecomer doubts the number of rak'ahs and knows that another latecomer joined him in his prayer.
The Shaykh : They both entered the prayer together.
The questioner : They both entered the prayer together.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : So he doubts how many rak'ahs there are. Is it permissible for him to follow the ma'mum who joined him, or should he count by following the ma'mum, or should he restart his prayer from where he began, for example, if he is certain that this is the fourth rak'ah?
The Shaykh : If a person doubts in his prayer while being a latecomer, and another person joined him, and they both entered the prayer together, and nothing is preferred in his mind, and he doubts with equal doubt, then the action of the one who joined him will certainly cause one of the two possibilities to be preferred. If one of the possibilities is preferred, he may act upon it. Sometimes, however, nothing is preferred, as in the case where he knows that the man who joined him is not a trustworthy person. If he is not a trustworthy person, then he acts upon certainty if nothing is preferred in his mind, and he takes the lesser number, then he performs the prostration for forgetfulness before the taslim. And if he acts upon the preponderance of his opinion, meaning that one of the possibilities is preferred in his mind due to the action of the one who joined him, then in this case he performs the prostration after the taslim, because whenever the basis is the preponderance of opinion in the matter of doubt, the prostration for forgetfulness is after the taslim.
The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you. If a latecomer doubts the number of rak'ahs and knows that another latecomer joined him in his prayer.
The Shaykh : They both entered the prayer together.
The questioner : They both entered the prayer together.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : So he doubts how many rak'ahs there are. Is it permissible for him to follow the ma'mum who joined him, or should he count by following the ma'mum, or should he restart his prayer from where he began, for example, if he is certain that this is the fourth rak'ah?
The Shaykh : If a person doubts in his prayer while being a latecomer, and another person joined him, and they both entered the prayer together, and nothing is preferred in his mind, and he doubts with equal doubt, then the action of the one who joined him will certainly cause one of the two possibilities to be preferred. If one of the possibilities is preferred, he may act upon it. Sometimes, however, nothing is preferred, as in the case where he knows that the man who joined him is not a trustworthy person. If he is not a trustworthy person, then he acts upon certainty if nothing is preferred in his mind, and he takes the lesser number, then he performs the prostration for forgetfulness before the taslim. And if he acts upon the preponderance of his opinion, meaning that one of the possibilities is preferred in his mind due to the action of the one who joined him, then in this case he performs the prostration after the taslim, because whenever the basis is the preponderance of opinion in the matter of doubt, the prostration for forgetfulness is after the taslim.