after the imam raises his head from bowing in the second rak‘ah, then he has not caught a rak‘ah and should complete it as Zuhr, on the basis of the hadith mentioned above.
“If he had intended Zuhr ...”
His statement, “If he had intended Zuhr,” means that, for him to complete it as Zuhr, it is conditional that he intend Zuhr and that its time has begun. We have added the latter condition because there is a possibility that Jumu‘ah may be prayed before the sun passes its zenith. Thus, if it is prayed before the zenith and he catches less than one rak‘ah of it, he should not complete it as Zuhr; rather, he should complete it as a voluntary prayer. Then, when the time for Zuhr begins, he should pray Zuhr.
Accordingly, two conditions apply to one who catches less than a rak‘ah with the imam in order for him to complete it as Zuhr:
- That he intend Zuhr.
- That the time for Zuhr has begun.
If he did not intend Zuhr—for example, if he joined the imam intending Jumu‘ah because he thought this was the first rak‘ah, having arrived when the imam had said, “Allah hears whoever praises Him,” in the second rak‘ah, and then assumed it was the first rak‘ah, only to discover that it was the final rak‘ah—then, according to the author’s position, he should complete it as a voluntary prayer, because he did not intend Zuhr.
Accordingly, if a latecomer arrives for Jumu‘ah and does not know whether it is the first or second rak‘ah, he should wait: if the imam sits for the tashahhud, he should join him intending Zuhr; but if he stands, he should join him intending Jumu‘ah.
The second view is that if he joins the imam intending Jumu‘ah, then it becomes clear that he did not catch a rak‘ah, he should intend it as Zuhr after the imam’s salām. This is the only view that people can practically follow, especially ordinary people. For even if an ordinary person knows that it is the second rak‘ah and that he has missed its bowing, he will still intend Jumu‘ah. Then, once the imam has said the salām, some ordinary people complete it as Jumu‘ah as well, while others complete it