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 Alekum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh

Dear brother of Faith,

I have a question regarding Salah, I have prayed Magrib Salah (Fard 3 rakah) in Congregation and I have offered two rakah Sunnah Salah after the Fard. I was sitting inside the Prayer room. After few minutes another group of our brothers came, they were late because of their class schedule. The brothers make a congregation and start offering Magrib Fard three Rakah.

I too join the congregation since I know based on my limited knowledge that I am allowed to make any Niyah besides the Imam. The first time I am offering the (Nafl) Salah after offering once but while the Imam had finished the Salah by Taslim in the third rakah I used to realized that the Nafl Salah are used to two or four rakah but not three, so, based on my limited knowledge I wake up for the fourth rakah and I offered 4 Rakah and completed my Salah.

I am not sure what is the right action in certain situation while I intent to make a nafl salah but I extent the salah after Imam had finished, since my intention was that I was just sitting and why not I can also join the congregation. The Prophet (sws) says that Imam should follow in Sahih Bukhari 1.656 and 657: ‘…The Imam is to be followed’ so is it wrong to add one more rakah after three rakah Magrib Salah, as I have made it clear that my intention was to make a Nafl salah but Nafl salah are in two or four rakah so what can a Muslim do in such cases though it may not happened usually.

I know from the scholarly point of view that one can make any niyah besides an Imam if one would like to join the congregation (if one already prayed the Fard) but in this case of three rakah Magrib salah I personally offered one extra rakah to make it four rakah Nafl Salah.

One more question I would like to ask that would I allowed to limit of extent my Salah in case of two or four rakah Salah if I would prefer to join the congregation even though I have already prayer the Fard Salah before.

Please suggest me by your expert commentaries and if any available Authentic Sahih Hadith(s) are available (where  Sahabas (ra) had prayed in such occasion in case of 2, 3 or 4 rakah prayers) in this regards will be highly appreciable.

I will be looking forward to here you soon.

JazakAllah Khairan

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Answer:

Make congregation after already prayed fard

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.

Your Question: ….I know from the scholarly point of view that one can make any niyah besides an Imam if one would like to join the congregation (if one already prayed the Fard) but in this case of three rakah Magrib salah I personally offered one extra rakah to make it four rakah Nafl Salah.

Abu Said al Khudri narrates that a man entered the Prophet’s Mosque, and the Prophet (saws) and his companions had already finished their obligatory prayer in congregation. The Prophet (saws) said: "Who will give charity to him by praying with him (in a new congregation)?" So, a man (Abi Shaibah reports that it was Hadrat Abu Bakr (r.a.)) from the people stood and prayed with him.

Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and at-Tirmidhi

Respected brother in Islam, if a group of believers entered the masjid late and formed a congregation to offer the ‘magrib’ salah after you had already performed your ‘magrib’ salah with the congregation, you obviously did not have to join them in their congregation to offer your ‘nafl’ prayers….as the brothers who entered late were more than one and they could have performed a new congregation on their own.

The reason the Messenger of Allah (saws) encouraged one amongst his companions to offer a prayer again with the believer who entered late was so that that person would be able to earn the reward of offering prayer in congregation, which he would not have been able to if he offered his prayer alone.

Anyways, if you stood with the congregation and offered three ‘rakahs’ with them, and then completed your ‘nafl’ prayer by adding one more rakah after the ‘imam’ declared the ‘tasleems’, there is absolutely no harm.

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