Lesson 28 The Latecomer To The Congregational Prayer by Alhuda Bolton

Saturday 18 March 2017
Chapter: The Latecomer to the Congregational Prayer

• You can only be considered to have caught the congregational Prayer if you have caught at least one Raka’ah (e.g. the last)
o What happens if you catch less than the last raka’ah

• Whoever catches the Rukuu’ (bowing), catches the raka’ah
o Hadith of Abu Bakrah
 Evidence that catching the rukuu’ catches the raka’ah
 Importance of not running to the mosque

• What happens if you arrive and you fear you may not catch the rukuu’,
o You can make just one takbiiratul Ihram and immediately join rukuu’
o If you have time, you can make one takbir to join the prayer (takbiiratul Ihram) and then Make another to join the rukuu’

• If the Imam is concluding the prayer with tasleem, but you missed some raka’ah, at what point do you get up?
o When he says the first salaam?
o Or when he says the second (completely finishes)?

• When you join the prayer, that raka’ah is considered as your first
o What about the number of tashahuds? (e.g. 3)
• What to do when you join late onto a loud prayer (e.g. maghrib)?
o Do you recite fatiha if you missed hearing it?
 Difference of opinion among the scholars
o What about joining late onto the quiet prayers?

• The IMPORTANCE in congregational prayers that the one behind the imam follows the Imam and does not go ahead of him
o The hadith warning those who go ahead of the Imam
o Four possible scenarios regarding following the Imam:
 To go ahead of the Imam [Incorrect]
 To go equal with the Imam [Incorrect]
 To follow the Imam [Correct]
 To lag behind the Imam and being too slow [Incorrect]
o Hadith of Umar when he saw a man going ahead of the Imam
o Many people are heedless and lax about this issue and it threatens their prayer
o The statement of Ibn Taymiyah regarding the one who goes ahead of the Imam
o Going ahead of the Imam is Haraam (agreement of all scholars)

• Q&A
o When you join the prayer late, do you read the opening dua?
o If you come late and miss a raka’ah for a loud prayer, should you read out loud by yourself when you get up to make up your lost raka’ah?
o Praying the Janaza (funeral) prayer without the body of the deceased
o What about if you miss the Janaza prayer for someone, can you make up for it?
o Lining up the Rows via the ankles
o What Gap should there be when a person stands to pray? Wide stance vs narrow?
 What about the statement of some people that there should be 4 finger gap between the feet?
o Bad smells such as Smoking and Garlic, can a person attend the prayer?

Next week insha Allah the Chapter on Women’s attendance in the mosques