The second congregation is prescribed for the one who missed the first congregation

Q: Is praying in a second congregation prescribed, and what is the evidence for it? Also, if a person arrives while the imam is in the final tashahhud, should he sit with the imam, or is it better to wait for the other congregation? And does he receive the reward of the congregation if he catches the imam in the final tashahhud?

A: The second congregation is prescribed, and it may become obligatory based on the generality of the evidence if he missed the first congregation. So if a person comes to the mosque and the people have already prayed, and a congregation is available to him, it is prescribed for him to pray in congregation and not pray alone. It may be said to be obligatory based on the generality of the evidence. One piece of evidence for this is that a man came while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had finished his prayer, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: .
And based on the generality of the evidence indicating that the congregational prayer is better than the prayer of the individual by twenty-seven degrees. Whoever says that it is specific to the first congregation must provide the specific evidence that restricts it, and mere opinion is not a proof.
And this is also indicated by his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): So if he missed the first one and Allah facilitated a congregation in another mosque or in the same mosque, it is prescribed for him to pray in congregation. As for what is narrated from some of the Salaf that he would return and pray alone, that is his independent legal reasoning (ijtihad) and the Shari'ah is not judged by it.
And it is established from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) as in al-Bukhari (that he came one day and the people had already prayed, so he gathered his companions and prayed with them in congregation). Anas is from the Companions, from the righteous, and from those to be followed. So the point is that the original ruling is the lawfulness of the congregation; this is the original ruling, and one does not depart from it except with evidence.
Then, the practice of the righteous Salaf was that they prayed in congregation when they missed the first congregation. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) himself encouraged those present to pray with the one who missed the prayer, where he said: "Whoever will give charity to this man so that he prays with him?" The point of that is to obtain the virtue of the congregation, and this hadith is a clear proof in this issue.
And if he arrives while the imam is in the final tashahhud, the best is to pray with the imam; due to the generality of his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): His saying (peace and blessings be upon him): includes the last rak'ah, includes the tashahhud, and includes more than that. So he prays with him what he catches and then completes his prayer. As for catching the virtue of the congregation, it is not obtained except by catching a rak'ah; due to his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): narrated by Muslim in his Sahih.
But the one who is excused by a legal excuse does not miss the virtue of the congregation, even if he misses the entire prayer, such as the one who goes out, for example, seeking the congregation, then a state of ritual impurity (hadath) befalls him, so he goes to relieve himself and perform wudu'; he is excused. Or if something prevents him on the road without his choice, he is excused. And the virtue of the congregational prayer is obtained for him even if he missed it due to the excuse, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the authentic hadith: And due to his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) in the expedition of Tabuk: And in another wording: They said: "O Messenger of Allah, and they are in the city?" He said: So that indicates that the ruling of the excused person is the ruling of the one present, and his ruling is the ruling of the one who acts; and this is from the favor of Allah and His kindness to His servants.