What is required to attain the congregation and its virtue?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
If one catches up with the imam before he finishes the taslim... does he attain the virtue of the congregation?
Answer:
No, he does not attain the virtue of the congregation; he only attains the virtue of the congregation by catching a rak'ah.
Q: If he arrives during the tashahhud, should he wait for another congregation?
The Shaykh: He should not wait. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih al-Bukhari 635 But if he finds a congregation praying with whom he can pray, that is better.
Q: May Allah reward you. In the eclipse prayer, if one catches the second ruku' of the second rak'ah, has he caught the prayer?
The Shaykh: He does not catch it except by the first ruku', in the case of the eclipse.
Q: If one catches a rak'ah of 'Asr?
The Shaykh: It is complete as a performance.
Q: If he enters the mosque and catches the congregation in the final tashahhud, does he join the congregation or wait until the imam says the taslim?
The Shaykh: The apparent generality of the text indicates joining; if they enter, there is no harm; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:, this is general. And if they pray alone because they missed the prayer, there is no harm; due to his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: Muwatta Malik 1:15 They have missed the congregation, so if they pray together, there is no harm.
And if they pray what they caught, and they agree that one of them leads the other in what they make up, there is no harm either.
Q: Meaning, is it said that it is obligatory to join the imam even before the taslim?
The Shaykh: Yes, if there is no other congregation; due to the generality of the hadith:Sahih al-Bukhari 635.
Q: What is the measure of catching up? Meaning, how many times does one say "Subhan Rabbi al-'Azeem"?
The Shaykh: If he catches him while he is in ruku', even if he does not say the tasbih until after, if he bends down and goes into ruku' and the imam is in ruku' and does not rise until after that; then he has caught the ruku', even if his tasbih is after that.
Q: And if he is in doubt?
The Shaykh: If he is in doubt; the original state is that he did not catch up.
If one catches up with the imam before he finishes the taslim... does he attain the virtue of the congregation?
Answer:
No, he does not attain the virtue of the congregation; he only attains the virtue of the congregation by catching a rak'ah.
Q: If he arrives during the tashahhud, should he wait for another congregation?
The Shaykh: He should not wait.
Pray what you catch
ما أدركتم فصلواand pray whatever you get (with the people) and complete the rest which you have missed
ما أدركتم فصلوا، وما فاتكم فأتمواQ: May Allah reward you. In the eclipse prayer, if one catches the second ruku' of the second rak'ah, has he caught the prayer?
The Shaykh: He does not catch it except by the first ruku', in the case of the eclipse.
Q: If one catches a rak'ah of 'Asr?
The Shaykh: It is complete as a performance.
Q: If he enters the mosque and catches the congregation in the final tashahhud, does he join the congregation or wait until the imam says the taslim?
The Shaykh: The apparent generality of the text indicates joining; if they enter, there is no harm; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
And whatever you catch of the prayer, pray it.
وما أدركتم فصلواWhoever catches a raka of the prayer has caught the prayer.
من أدرك ركعة من الصلاة فقد أدرك الصلاةAnd if they pray what they caught, and they agree that one of them leads the other in what they make up, there is no harm either.
Q: Meaning, is it said that it is obligatory to join the imam even before the taslim?
The Shaykh: Yes, if there is no other congregation; due to the generality of the hadith:
and pray whatever you get (with the people) and complete the rest which you have missed
ما أدركتم فصلوا وما فاتكم فأتمواQ: What is the measure of catching up? Meaning, how many times does one say "Subhan Rabbi al-'Azeem"?
The Shaykh: If he catches him while he is in ruku', even if he does not say the tasbih until after, if he bends down and goes into ruku' and the imam is in ruku' and does not rise until after that; then he has caught the ruku', even if his tasbih is after that.
Q: And if he is in doubt?
The Shaykh: If he is in doubt; the original state is that he did not catch up.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.