The Ruling on Leading a Person Praying Alone
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Q383: The questioner says: I went to the mosque and found that the congregational prayer had ended, and I found a man standing alone. Is it permissible for me to stand and pray beside him, on the basis that this individual is the imam and I am the follower? Please inform us, may Allah reward you?
A383: It is permissible according to the correct opinion of the scholars, if you catch up with a person
who is praying alone and you have missed the prayer, then there is no harm in joining him and praying together as a congregation; because congregational prayer is obligatory whenever possible, and it became possible in this case by the presence of this person who is praying, so you pray with him at that time. The evidence for this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up to pray the night prayer, so Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) came and joined him in the prayer, and he stood to the left of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), so the Prophet moved him to his right. Thus, Ibn Abbas joined the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) during the prayer, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had started the prayer alone, and Ibn Abbas joined in the middle of it, so the Prophet approved of that. And what is permissible in voluntary prayer is permissible in obligatory prayer, except with evidence for differentiation and specificity, and Allah knows best.
A383: It is permissible according to the correct opinion of the scholars, if you catch up with a person
who is praying alone and you have missed the prayer, then there is no harm in joining him and praying together as a congregation; because congregational prayer is obligatory whenever possible, and it became possible in this case by the presence of this person who is praying, so you pray with him at that time. The evidence for this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up to pray the night prayer, so Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) came and joined him in the prayer, and he stood to the left of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), so the Prophet moved him to his right. Thus, Ibn Abbas joined the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) during the prayer, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had started the prayer alone, and Ibn Abbas joined in the middle of it, so the Prophet approved of that. And what is permissible in voluntary prayer is permissible in obligatory prayer, except with evidence for differentiation and specificity, and Allah knows best.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.