I entered the mosque and found the imam in the final tashahhud; do I count as having caught up with the congregation?
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The questioner : This questioner says, “O honorable Shaykh, I entered the mosque and found the imam in the final tashahhud; do I count as having caught up with the congregation?”
The Shaykh : Some scholars hold that the congregation is caught up if one says the takbir for entering the prayer before the imam says the taslim. On this view, you have caught up with the congregational prayer.
And some scholars say that the congregational prayer is not caught up 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 The implication of this hadith is that one who catches up with less than a rak'ah has not caught up with the prayer. This is the stronger position.
Based on this, we say: if you come to the mosque and the imam is in the final tashahhud, and you know or it is most likely that you will catch up with another mosque at the beginning of the prayer or during it, do not enter with the imam; go to the other mosque. If it is not most likely that you will catch up with another congregation in a mosque other than this one, enter with the imam, and whatever you catch up with him is good. If your delay was due to an excuse, we hope that Allah will write for you the full reward of the congregation. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Some scholars hold that the congregation is caught up if one says the takbir for entering the prayer before the imam says the taslim. On this view, you have caught up with the congregational prayer.
And some scholars say that the congregational prayer is not caught up 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 الصلاةBased on this, we say: if you come to the mosque and the imam is in the final tashahhud, and you know or it is most likely that you will catch up with another mosque at the beginning of the prayer or during it, do not enter with the imam; go to the other mosque. If it is not most likely that you will catch up with another congregation in a mosque other than this one, enter with the imam, and whatever you catch up with him is good. If your delay was due to an excuse, we hope that Allah will write for you the full reward of the congregation. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.