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Fatwa CenterRuling on not following the Imaam in prayer in two pillars of the prayer with a reason
Question
I have prayed twice in a congregation and I did not hear the Takbeer of rising from prostration both times (and each time there were some other people with me). I did not sit when the Imaam did so and when the prayer was over, I did not make Tasleem with him either. I completed a Rak‘ah and made the prostration of forgetfulness. What should I do in this case? Was what I did correct?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
If you made up what you missed from following the Imaam in the prayer (i.e. sitting in between the two prostrations and the prostration after which) and completed your prayer with him and then you performed another Rak‘ah after he made Tasleem, then your prayer is invalid. This is because you prayed it as five Rak‘aat. You just need to make Tasleem with the Imaam and then there is nothing else for you to do other than this. Accordingly, you have to do it again.
If you did not make up what you missed with the Imaam but followed him directly and prayed one Rak‘ah after he made Tasleem and then made the prostration of forgetfulness, then your prayer would be valid and there is nothing for you to do more than this. You should not have to make the prostration of forgetfulness. This is not the prescribed time for prostration for it was just prescribed to make up the increase or decrease that may occur in prayer due to forgetfulness and this is not so in your case.
You should make up what you missed and then follow the Imaam if you did not fear missing the next Rak‘ah.
Al-Buhooti, the Hanbali scholar 
said: “If a person lags behind the Imaam with two essential parts (pillars) of the prayer with no excuse, then his prayer is invalid for he did not follow the Imaam and had no excuse (to do so). However, if a person lags behind the Imaam with two essential parts or more of the prayer due to several excuses, as we have in this question, such as sleeping, forgetfulness or crowdedness, then if he is certain that he will not miss the second Rak‘ah, he should pray what he left and then follow the Imaam. In this way, he will catch up with the Imaam without involving any prohibited matter, his Rak‘ah is correct and thus he will complete his prayer. However, if he is not certain that he will miss the second Rak‘ah (in case he prays what he has left) because making up the missed essential parts will cause him to miss another (i.e. a third Rak‘ah), then he should not do so because he may not be able to follow the Imaam. His Rak‘ah (that had defects) will be canceled and what follows it will take its place and thus he should count on it.” End quote.
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