What is the ruling on following a latecomer or one who intended to pray alone?
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The questioner : If a person prays alone with the intention of praying alone, and then another person comes and prays with him, or for example, a person prays with the imam but only catches the closing salam, catching the prayer at the salam, and then completes the prayer, and then another person comes and completes the prayer with him, is this permissible...?
The Shaykh : If a person starts praying alone, and then another person comes and prays with him, there is no harm, whether in the obligatory prayer or the voluntary prayer.
As for the voluntary prayer: it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he did this, when 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) stayed the night with him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) stood up to pray the night prayer alone, so Ibn 'Abbas stood up and prayed with him, and he (the Prophet) allowed him to do so. What is established for the voluntary prayer is established for the obligatory prayer unless there is evidence to the contrary.
As for the second issue: which is if a person enters the prayer with the imam and misses part of the prayer, then stands up to make up what remains, and another person enters with him, this is also permissible, but in this second case, it is better to leave it, because that is not the way of the Companions, that when one stands up to make up, another person prays with him as a congregation.
The Shaykh : If a person starts praying alone, and then another person comes and prays with him, there is no harm, whether in the obligatory prayer or the voluntary prayer.
As for the voluntary prayer: it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he did this, when 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) stayed the night with him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) stood up to pray the night prayer alone, so Ibn 'Abbas stood up and prayed with him, and he (the Prophet) allowed him to do so. What is established for the voluntary prayer is established for the obligatory prayer unless there is evidence to the contrary.
As for the second issue: which is if a person enters the prayer with the imam and misses part of the prayer, then stands up to make up what remains, and another person enters with him, this is also permissible, but in this second case, it is better to leave it, because that is not the way of the Companions, that when one stands up to make up, another person prays with him as a congregation.