The prayer of the traveler behind the resident imam: Does he shorten the prayer or must he complete it, and what is the ruling on one who prayed several prayers shortened behind a resident?
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Shaykh: The prayer of the traveler behind the resident imam. Now, does the traveler behind the resident imam shorten the prayer, or is it obligatory for him to complete it? And what is obligatory on one who did that in three to five prayers?
The Shaykh : It is obligatory for the traveler, if he prays behind a resident imam, to complete the prayer, due to the generality of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family):Sahih al-Bukhari 1236 And because the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to pray behind the Commander of the Faithful, 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, in Mina; he would pray four rak'ahs with them, and they would pray four with him. And because Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) was asked about a traveling man who prays two rak'ahs alone and four with the imam, he said: This is clear if he joins the imam from the beginning of the prayer. If the traveler joins the imam from the beginning of the prayer, it is clear that he must complete the prayer with the imam. But if he catches up with him for the last two rak'ahs, does he say the taslim, since he has prayed two rak'ahs and his obligation is two, or does he complete what remains? We say: he completes what remains, so he completes four, due to the generality of his saying (peace and blessings be upon him and his family): Sahih al-Bukhari 635 And because the follower in this state has his prayer linked to the imam, so he is required to follow him even in what he missed.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Yes, and as for one who did that in the past, and used to pray two rak'ahs behind the resident imam, it is obligatory for him to repeat the prayers he prayed, immediately and consecutively. It is not as some of the common people understand, that if a person has multiple prayers to make up, he prays each one in its own time. The common people think that if you have, for example, five prayers, you pray Zuhr with Zuhr, 'Asr with 'Asr, Maghrib with Maghrib, 'Isha' with 'Isha', and Fajr with Fajr. It is not so; rather, you pray them consecutively in one session.
The questioner : O Shaykh, what if he does not know the exact number?
The Shaykh : Even if he does not know, because if he had known, he would have committed a sin. But now, the sin is dropped from him due to his lack of knowledge, but his conscience is burdened with the prayers he missed.
The questioner : He does not know the prayers he prayed.
The Shaykh : He should investigate and estimate. If he does not know the prayers in which he was negligent, he should investigate.
The questioner : Regarding the question of the brother Muhammad, it is a correction of a previous question.
The Shaykh : It is
The questioner : about breastfeeding, which was covered in a previous session...
The Shaykh : Very well.
The questioner : So it serves as a correction, meaning.
The Shaykh : It is this, it is as we said.
The questioner : No, this question was answered in another form, meaning regarding the answer.
The Shaykh : So this is adopted.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh: The prayer of the traveler behind the resident imam. Now, does the traveler behind the resident imam shorten the prayer, or is it obligatory for him to complete it? And what is obligatory on one who did that in three to five prayers?
The Shaykh : It is obligatory for the traveler, if he prays behind a resident imam, to complete the prayer, due to the generality of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family):
The Imam is to be followed
إنما جعل الإمام ليؤتم بهThat is the Sunnah
تلك هي السنةand pray whatever you get (with the people) and complete the rest which you have missed
فما أدركتم فصلوا، وما فاتكم فأتمواThe questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Yes, and as for one who did that in the past, and used to pray two rak'ahs behind the resident imam, it is obligatory for him to repeat the prayers he prayed, immediately and consecutively. It is not as some of the common people understand, that if a person has multiple prayers to make up, he prays each one in its own time. The common people think that if you have, for example, five prayers, you pray Zuhr with Zuhr, 'Asr with 'Asr, Maghrib with Maghrib, 'Isha' with 'Isha', and Fajr with Fajr. It is not so; rather, you pray them consecutively in one session.
The questioner : O Shaykh, what if he does not know the exact number?
The Shaykh : Even if he does not know, because if he had known, he would have committed a sin. But now, the sin is dropped from him due to his lack of knowledge, but his conscience is burdened with the prayers he missed.
The questioner : He does not know the prayers he prayed.
The Shaykh : He should investigate and estimate. If he does not know the prayers in which he was negligent, he should investigate.
The questioner : Regarding the question of the brother Muhammad, it is a correction of a previous question.
The Shaykh : It is
The questioner : about breastfeeding, which was covered in a previous session...
The Shaykh : Very well.
The questioner : So it serves as a correction, meaning.
The Shaykh : It is this, it is as we said.
The questioner : No, this question was answered in another form, meaning regarding the answer.
The Shaykh : So this is adopted.
The questioner : Yes.