These reports point to something beyond what the main ḥadīth itself establishes—namely, that whoever joins the imam while he is in bowing has in fact caught the rakʿah (unit of prayer). This ruling is affirmed by authentic chains from both Ibn Masʿūd and Ibn ʿUmar; I have documented the two isnāds in Irwāʾ al-Ghalīl, no. 119, where I also cited a sound marfūʿ ḥadīth from Abū Hurayrah.

As for the narration that al-Bukhārī recorded in his treatise Juzʾ al-Qirāʾah (p. 24)—transmitted by Maʿqil ibn Mālik, who said, “Abū ʿAwānah told us, from Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq, from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Aʿraj, from Abū Hurayrah: ‘If you reach the people while they are bowing, do not count that rakʿah’”—in addition to conflicting with the foregoing reports, its chain is weak. The weakness lies in Maʿqil himself: no one deemed him reliable except Ibn Ḥibbān, whereas al-Azdī labelled him abandoned. Furthermore, the isnād contains the ʿanʿana of Ibn Isḥāq, who practised tadlīs. Al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar’s silence about the report in al-Talkhīṣ (p. 127) is therefore unfitting.

Indeed, al-Bukhārī also narrated it through another route in which Ibn Isḥāq said, “al-Aʿraj related it to me,” but with the wording: “It will not suffice you unless you catch the imam standing.” This chain is ḥasan. Outwardly it does not contradict the earlier reports; rather, it accords with them except that it stipulates catching the imam while he is standing. That condition originates with Abū Hurayrah, and we see no basis for it, especially since those who disagreed with him were more knowledgeable and more numerous—may Allah be pleased with them all.

If someone were to object, saying: “There is another authentic ḥadīth whose apparent meaning conflicts with the present narration, namely, ‘May Allah increase you in eagerness, but do not repeat (the act),’ ”