Is it obligatory for the one who joins the prayer late to prostrate the prostration for forgetfulness with the imam after the closing salam, or not?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you. A man prayed and caught up with the imam in one rak'ah, so he missed one rak'ah of the four-rak'ah prayer. When he stood up to make up the missed rak'ah, the imam prostrated for forgetfulness.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : Or he spoke, and the ma'mum (one praying behind the imam) were present, and this man who missed a rak'ah had stood up to perform the rak'ah, so the imam prostrated. What should he do? Should he return?
The Shaykh : I will give you a rule: If the imam's prostration is after the salam, then stand up as soon as he says the salam and do not prostrate with him. This is because his prayer is complete, and you cannot follow him in it, because if you followed him, you would have to say the salam, and you cannot say the salam before the prayer is finished. So, stand up and complete your prayer. Then, if the imam's forgetfulness for which he prostrated occurred before you joined him, you owe nothing. But if the imam's forgetfulness occurred after you joined him, then when you finish your prayer and say the salam, prostrate two prostrations. Did you understand? Take this rule and apply it to any issue that comes to you.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : Or he spoke, and the ma'mum (one praying behind the imam) were present, and this man who missed a rak'ah had stood up to perform the rak'ah, so the imam prostrated. What should he do? Should he return?
The Shaykh : I will give you a rule: If the imam's prostration is after the salam, then stand up as soon as he says the salam and do not prostrate with him. This is because his prayer is complete, and you cannot follow him in it, because if you followed him, you would have to say the salam, and you cannot say the salam before the prayer is finished. So, stand up and complete your prayer. Then, if the imam's forgetfulness for which he prostrated occurred before you joined him, you owe nothing. But if the imam's forgetfulness occurred after you joined him, then when you finish your prayer and say the salam, prostrate two prostrations. Did you understand? Take this rule and apply it to any issue that comes to you.