is thereby exempt from attending congregational prayer in the mosque, or must still attend it there. He should not absent himself from congregational prayer in the mosque except for a valid excuse, as indicated by the Prophetic traditions and transmitted reports. And Allah knows best.

He—may Allah Most High have mercy on him—was asked:

A man arrives near the end of a congregational prayer, and another congregation will pray afterward. Is it recommended that he join the first congregation at the end of their prayer, or should he wait for the next congregation?

He replied:

If he catches less than one rakʿah (unit of prayer), the answer depends on whether a person is considered to have caught the congregational prayer by catching less than one rakʿah, or whether he must catch a full rakʿah.

Abū Hanīfah’s position is that he is considered to have caught it. He applied this analogy consistently, even holding that a person who catches the sitting of the Friday prayer has caught that prayer and should therefore complete it as a Friday prayer.

Mālik’s position is that a person is not considered to have caught it unless he catches one rakʿah. He applied this principle consistently, even to someone who catches the end of the prescribed prayer time.

The situations in which this issue arises are of several kinds:

The first is the Friday prayer.

The second is attaining the merit of congregational prayer.