Question: A person comes to the Masjid for Fajr and the Fard prayer is taking place. However, he still hasn’t prayed his Sunnah. In which scenario should he leave the Sunnah prayer and join the fard? For example, when the Imam is in the second rakat or when he’s in tashahud? Please explain the rulings for the different scenarios?
Date: 05/11/21
ا يلصم و ادماح باو جلا
Wa ‘Alaykum as – Salām ,
RE:
If one enters the masjid and finds that the congregation for fajr prayer has already begun and he fears that if by performing the two rak’āt sunnah prayer he will miss the congregation, then in this scenario he will forgo the sunnah prayer and join the congregation. If he anticipates that he will at least catch the congregation in the last sitting (tashahhud), then in this scenario he will perform the sunnah prayer in the back of the masjid whilst the congregation takes place and join afterwards.1
MI Hamoon Masudi
Iftā’Department
Al-Hikmah Institute
1 Fatḥ al-Qadīr, Shāmī, Tabyīn al-Ḥaqāiq