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:

Assalamualikum Brother Burhan.

May Allah bless you for the work you are doing for the propagation of Islam.I have one doubt regarding prayer. When we join Salah in congregation in middle(say 2nd rakah) and imam does a mistake in salah then he does sajda-e-sahu at the last, but the one how join should do sajda-e-sahu along with imam or he should be quit and do after completing rest of rakah which are remaining? 

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Answer:

Sajdah sahu with imam

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.

If one joins a congregational prayer, it is obligatory for one to follow the ‘imaam’ in the prayer till its very end.

Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet (saws) said: "The ‘imaam’ is selected to be followed; therefore, do not differ with him. When he makes the ‘takbir’, make the ‘takbir’; when he goes into ‘ruku', make ‘ruku'; when he says 'Allah hears him who praises Him,' say 'O Allah, our Lord, to You belongs the Praise'; when he goes into ‘sajdah’, make sajdah’. If the ‘imaam’ prays sitting, then all (those praying in congregation) should be sitting."

Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Thus if one joins the congregational prayer in its middle, and the ‘imaam’ leading the prayer makes a mistake, and at the end of the prayer the ‘imaam’ performs the ‘sajdah-sahu’ (prostration of forgetfulness), the believer who joined the prayer (even if in the middle) must follow the ‘imaam’ and do the ‘sajdah-sahu’ with the congregation. After the ‘imaam’ has recited the ‘tasleems’ to signal the end of prayer, one must then stand up and complete the rakahs which one has missed in congregation.

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