When is a person regarded to have caught a rak’ah with the imam in prayer?
Dear Brother / Sister,
It is necessary for the person who starts to follow the imam to perform ruku’ with the imam so as to be regarded to have caught that rak'ah. If a person who enters the mosque sees the imam in ruku’, makes intention and starts to follow him by standing, he is not regarded to have caught that rak'ah. For, only a person who catches the imam in ruku’, follows him and makes ruku’ before the imam stands up from ruku’ is regarded to have caught that rak'ah. (1)
Similarly, if a person makes intention, bows down for ruku’ but if the imam stands up before he bows down completely, he is not regarded to have caught that rak'ah.
Some scholars gives the following advice for such a situation: If the imam is in ruku’ when a person enters the mosque and if the person understands that he will not be able to catch that rak'ah when he reaches the rows (ranks), he can make intention and starts to follow the imam where he is; then, he walks slowly to reach the row. Thus, he is regarded to have caught that rak'ah.
However, there is something to be careful about it: If a person takes three steps on end, his prayer is invalidated. Taking fewer steps is regarded makruh. In that case, it is not necessary to do a makruh deed in order to catch a rak'ah. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) states the following regarding the issue:
«When you go to mosque to pray, walk solemnly and calmly. Perform the rak'ahs of the prayer you have caught with the imam and complete the ones you have missed by standing up after the imam salutes.»
Thus, he told us how to act regarding the issue.
Fiqh scholars agreed unanimously on the following issue: A person who bows down for ruku’ after the imam but before the imam stands up from ruku’ is regarded to have caught up with the imam for that rak’ah.
If a person bows down for ruku after the imam stands up from ruku’ and before prostration, he is not regarded or to have caught up with the imam for that rak’ah. (2)
Footnotes:
1. al-Hidaya / Burhanuddin Marghinani.
2. Bahr ar-Raiq / Ibn Nujaym.
(see Celal YILDIRIM, Kaynaklarıyla İslam Fıkhı, Uysal Kitabevi: 1/405-406.)
Questions on Islam
- Should a person who catches up with the imam when he is in ruku put his hands on his navel/chest or not after he utters takbir and bows down?
- Is the prayer of a person who does not follow the imam properly in sajdah and ruku’ (who acts before or after the imam) valid according to Shafii madhhab?
- Does a Shafii person who starts to follow the imam in the second rak’ah read "Wajjahtu" supplication?
- How is tasbih prayer performed?
- Is a person who utters takbir only before the time period for a prayer ends regarded to have caught that prayer?
- How is sajdah as-sahw (prostration of forgetfulness) performed according to Shafii madhhab? What are the things that necessitate sajdah as-sahw?
- How are lunar eclipse (khusuf) and solar eclipse (kusuf) prayers performed?
- How is a prostration (sajdah) that is skipped in a prayer performed; does sajdah as-sahw become necessary?
- What are the meanings of the deeds done in prayer, supplications (dua) and glorifications (tasbihat) in and outside prayer? Is it permissible to say / read them more or fewer times?
- What are the necessary qualities for an Imam to have in order to lead a congregational prayer?
