Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalam Alaikum,

This happened with me today & I do not know if what I did was right. If not what would have been the right approach.

The Asr prayer had finished when I reached the mosque, so I started praying Sunnah by myself. Suddenly someone touched me from behind & stood behind me and started praying with me. I could not understand what I should do, so in the middle of 3rd Rakah I made niyat for 4 farz and before salaam in the 4th Rakah, i offered two more sajdah before completing the prayer made dua and left.

Please advise.

Jazakalla Khair.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Someone joins in congregation

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 2.62b

Topic: The Positioning Of The Imam And The Followers

It is preferred for (if only) one person, to stand to the right of the imam; and for a "group of two (or more)" to stand behind the imam.

Jabir reports: "The Prophet (saws) stood to pray and I came and stood on his left. He (saws) took me by my hand [and led me] around him until I stood on his right. Then, Jabir ibn Sakhr came and stood on the left of the Messenger of Allah (saws). He took both of us by our hands and pushed us back until we stood behind him." Related by Muslim and Abu Dawud.

It is indeed correct Islamic etiquette that if one is praying alone (regardless of whether it is Nafl, Sunnah, or Fard) and a brother wishes to join him and form a congregation to offer his ‘fard’ prayer, he would slightly touch or tap the person who is already in prayer, thus indicating his intention that he wishes to pray behind him in congregation. The brother who was praying alone now becomes the ‘imam’, and he should continue praying with the exact intention (either nafl, Sunnah, or fard) he started before the prayer and fulfill his intended prayer, making sure that he pronounces the ‘takbeer’ aloud each time he moves in prayer so that the brother praying with him follows his actions. At the end of the intended prayer, the brother who is the ‘imam’ should declare his ‘tasleems’, and the brother praying with him in congregation should complete the number of rakahs of the prayer he intended to pray.

Now to the chain of events that transpired with you:

Ref-1: The Asr prayer had finished when I reached the mosque, so I started praying Sunnah by myself.

Absolutely no harm.

Ref-2: Suddenly someone touched me from behind & stood behind me and started praying with me.

The brother did the right thing by touching you while you were in the midst of your prayer, indicating to you that he intends to make you the ‘imam’ and pray his prayer in congregation with you.

The brother, if he was alone, should have stood on your right and beside you, or a couple of inches (6-12 inches) behind and to your right; made the intention in his heart for the prayer he wished to offer; raised his hands above his shoulders and announced the ‘takbeer’; and immediately moved to the action you (the imam) were engaged in prayer.

Ref-3: I could not understand what I should do, so in the middle of 3rd Rakah I made niyat for 4 farz and

Once one has made an intention to offer a particular prayer (nafl, Sunnah, fard, etc.) and declared the ‘takbeer’ indicating his start of prayer, it is not permissible for one to change his ‘intentions’ in the midst of one’s prayer.

What you should have done is continue praying the prayer you had intended to pray to its completion, regardless of the intentions of the brother who joined you.

Beloved brother, since you started your prayer with the intention to offer ‘Sunnah’ prayers, it would not be permissible for you to change your intentions of Sunnah into ‘fard’ prayers. The prayers that you offered will be regarded and counted as your Sunnah prayers, and the intentions you made in the middle of your prayers will be considered invalid. Thus you should seek forgiveness from your Lord, and re-pray the ‘fard’ prayers which you have obviously missed as ‘qada’; it is expected that you will find your Lord Forgiving and Merciful.

Ref-4: and before salaam in the 4th Rakah, i offered two more sajdah before completing the prayer made dua and left.

Beloved brother, the ‘sajdah-sahu’ or prostrations of forgetfulness which you offered before the end of your prayer does not make the impermissible and unlawful change of intentions in the midst of one’s prayer permissible!

The prayer that you offered will be regarded and counted according to the intention (Sunnah) you made in your heart before you declared the ‘takbeer’ and started your prayer.

The only solution now to what happened is that you re-pray your ‘fard’ prayers that you have obviously missed as ‘qada’, and seek the sincere forgiveness of Allah; it is expected that you will find your Lord Forgiving and Merciful.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan