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:

Assalamu Alaikum

Dear Sir,

I have a small doubt can u please clarify it from Quran / Hadees.

My question is while performing Salah one person came in masjid

At imam’s 4^th Rakath. After  imam tasleem / salam the person is

Stand and perform his salah another new person came and join to him.

It is right or wrong  join the new person to him.

(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:

Join prayer 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.

Ibn 'Umar reports that the Prophet (saws) said: "Prayer in congregation is superior to a prayer performed individually by twenty-seven degrees."

Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

The prayer by itself is a great deed which earns a massive reward; and to offer the prayer in congregation multiplies that massive reward by at least 27 times! Thus in principle, whenever and wherever possible, the believers are guided and encouraged to offer their obligatory prayers in congregation.

If a person enters a masjid and joins the congregation of the ‘imam’ in the 4^th rakah, he must obviously stand up and fulfill the balance rakahs of his prayer. If another believer then enters the masjid, there is absolutely no harm if the believer intends to form a new congregation with the person who is completing his prayer, absolutely regardless of what rakah that person might be in his prayer. That way, all the believers will be able to avail the full reward of the prayer in congregation.

All the believer has to do is stand on the right side of the person offering the prayer, and gently tap the shoulder of the brother already in prayer to signal to him that he intends to form a new congregation. The brother who is praying should accommodate the noble intention of his believing brother, and continue with his prayers, but raise his voice in the recitation of the Surahs and the ‘takbeers’/’salaams’ as needed.

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