Bukhari

Explanation:
Under this hadith, the explanatory words of Hazrat Allama Maulana Nawab Waheeduz-Zaman Khan Sahib rahimahullah are as follows:
“There is consensus (ijma‘) of all the Imams and scholars on this. However, the Hanafis have taken half of the hadith and left the other half. They say that the ‘Asr prayer will be valid, but the Fajr prayer will not be valid. Their analogy is contrary to the hadith and, according to the bequest of their own Imam, is worthy of being abandoned.”

Further clarification is present in al-Bayhaqi:
«من ادرك ركعة من الصبح فليصل اليها اخري»
Whoever catches one rak‘ah of Fajr and the sun rises, he should complete the second rak‘ah with it; his Fajr prayer will be valid.

Shaykh al-Hadith Hazrat Maulana Ubaidullah Mubarakpuri rahimahullah states:
«ويوخذ من هذا الرد على الطحاوي حيث خص الادراك باحتلام الصبي وطهرالحائض واسلام الكافر ونحوها وارادبذلك نصرة مذهبه فى ان من ادرك من الصبح ركعة تفسد صلوٰته لانه لايكملها الافي وقت الكراهة انتهي۔ والحديث يدل على ان من ادرك ركعة من صلوٰةالصبح قبل طلوع الشمس فقد ادرك صلوٰة الصبح ولاتبطل بطلوعها كما ان من ادرك ركعة من صلوٰة العصر قبل غروب الشمس فقدادرك صلوٰة العصر ولاتبطل بغروبها وبه قال مالك والشافعي واحمد واسحاق و هوالحق۔» [مرعاة المفاتيح، ج 1، ص : 398]
This aforementioned hadith refutes Imam Tahawi, who has restricted this hadith to the case of a boy who has just reached puberty, or a woman who has just become pure from menstruation, or a disbeliever who has just embraced Islam, and they catch one rak‘ah of Fajr before sunrise—so, according to him, this hadith is specific to them. The purpose of this interpretation by Imam Tahawi rahimahullah is to support his own school, which is that whoever catches one rak‘ah of Fajr and then the sun rises, his prayer becomes invalid because he is completing it in a disliked (makruh) time. This hadith is evidence that, in general, every person is intended: whoever catches one rak‘ah of Fajr before sunrise will receive the reward for the entire prayer, and the prayer will not become invalid due to sunrise—just as if someone catches one rak‘ah of ‘Asr before sunset, he has attained the ‘Asr prayer, and it will not become invalid due to sunset. This is the view of Imam Shafi‘i rahimahullah, Malik rahimahullah, Ahmad and Ishaq rahimahumallah, and this is the truth.

� Benefits and Issues:
Relevance between the Chapter and the Hadith:
The relevance between the hadith narrated from Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu and the chapter heading is that it is understood from the hadith that if a person catches one rak‘ah of the ‘Asr or Fajr prayer before the sun sets or rises, he should complete the rest of his prayer, and this will be considered as performed (ada), not as made up (qada).
However, there is an apparent problem between the chapter heading and the hadith: in the chapter heading, Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah mentioned «ركعة», but in the hadith, «سجدة» is mentioned, not rak‘ah.

◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah, addressing this issue, says:
«كانه اراد تفسير الحديث، و ان المراد بالسجدة الركعة» [فتح الباري، ج3/33]
“It is as if he intended to explain the hadith, and that what is meant by ‘sajdah’ (prostration) is ‘rak‘ah’ (unit of prayer).”

◈ Ibn al-Mulaqqin rahimahullah writes:
«وفي رواية للسراج فى ”مسنده“ من ادرك ركعة قبل ان تطلع الشمس، ركعة بعد ما تطلع فقد ادرك، و أخرجه مسلم ايضاً من حديث عائشة، من ادرك من العصر سجدة قبل ان تغرب الشمس او من الصبح قبل ان تطلع الشمس فقد ادركها، والسجدة وانها هي ركعة وهو من افراده ايضاً» [التوضيح، ج6، ص198]
“In Musnad Siraj, it is stated that if someone catches one rak‘ah before the sun rises and one rak‘ah after sunrise, then indeed he has caught his prayer. It is also in Sahih Muslim that whoever catches the prostration of ‘Asr before the sun sets, or catches a rak‘ah of Fajr before sunrise, and here by ‘prostration’ is meant ‘rak‘ah’.”
Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah’s intent by ‘sajdah’ is ‘rak‘ah’, as has been mentioned previously, and this is what applies here. Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah’s chapter heading is where he has indicated ‘rak‘ah’.

The second hadith which Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah narrated from Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah radi Allahu anhu means that sometimes a person, by performing part of a deed, receives the reward for the whole, just as a worker who works from ‘Asr until evening is given the wage for the entire day (as mentioned in the hadith of ‘Abdullah radi Allahu anhu). Thus, this is analogous to the one who, by catching one rak‘ah, receives the reward for the entire prayer. This is the relevance of these hadiths to the chapter heading.

◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah says:
«قال الحافظ : حديث ابن عمرو حديث ابي موسى فى هذه الترجمة ليدل على انه قد يستحق بعمل البعض اجر الكل، مثل الذى اعطي من العصر الى الليل اجر النهار كله، فهو نظير من يعطي اجر الصلاة كلها و لو لم يدرك الا ركعة، و بهذا تظهر مطابقة الحديثين للترجمة .» [انظر فتح الباري لابن حجر ج2 ص49]
“The purpose of Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah in bringing the two hadiths of Ibn ‘Umar and Musa radi Allahu anhuma here is to show that sometimes a person, by performing part of a deed, receives the reward for the whole, just as a worker who works from ‘Asr until evening is given the wage for the entire day. This is analogous to the one who, by catching one rak‘ah, receives the reward for the entire prayer. This is the reason for the relevance between the chapter heading and the hadith.”
Hafiz Sahib further says:
“It is derived from this and the following hadith that a full wage is given for a part of the deed. Similarly, whoever catches one rak‘ah of Fajr or ‘Asr, Allah Ta‘ala can grant him the reward of performing the entire prayer on time. (In the above hadith, Muslims are also mentioned, which means that) they worked only until Maghrib, but received the wage for the entire day. The reason is that they fulfilled the condition, worked until evening, and completed the task. The other two groups caused their own loss by abandoning the work incomplete and running away, so their effort was wasted.”

◈ Shah Waliullah Muhaddith al-Dihlawi rahimahullah, elaborating, says:
“The purpose of Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah in establishing this chapter is (to indicate) that if a worshipper catches one rak‘ah before sunset, his prayer will be valid and he will not need to make it up.” [شرح تراجم ابواب البخاري ص188]

◈ Ibn al-Jawzi rahimahullah says:
«و مقصود الحديث تفضيل هذه الامة و توفير اجرها مع قلة عملها» [كشف المشكل ج1، ص229]
“The intended meaning in the above hadith is to grant this Ummah (the Ummah of Muhammad) complete reward, which is based on little action.”

Benefit:
The examples given in the above hadiths for the Jews, Christians, and Muslims are as follows: The Jews accepted Sayyiduna Musa alayhis salam and followed the Torah, but later deviated from the Gospel, the Noble Qur’an, and Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and refused to accept Sayyiduna ‘Isa alayhis salam and Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Thus, the efforts of both these groups were wasted and they were deprived of reward in the Hereafter. In the end times, Muslims came and, though they strove for a short period, they completed the task by accepting Musa alayhis salam, ‘Isa alayhis salam, and Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and believed in all the heavenly books. Therefore, the greatest share of the reward came to them. «ذَلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّـهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَاءُ وَاللَّـهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ» [الجمعة 4/62] [تيسير الباري شرح صحيح البخاري ج1، ص277]

An Objection:
An objection arises from the above hadith that, compared to the Jews and Christians, the lifespan of Muslims seems very short, whereas in reality, the maximum lifespan of the Jews is two thousand years. Therefore, this is not really an objection. However, the duration of the Christians is at most six hundred years, while Muslims have existed for more than fourteen hundred years, and it is not known how many more years will pass until the Day of Judgment. Yet, the narration considers the lifespan of the Jews and Christians to be long, and the lifespan of the Ummah of Muhammad to be short.
The Answer:
In the above hadith, the comparison is not between the entire Ummah, but between the lifespans of individuals of the Ummah. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “The lifespan of my Ummah is between sixty and seventy years.” Therefore, in the above hadith, the comparison is between individuals of the Ummah. As is also clear from the hadith, the word ‘qirat’ is repeated as ‘qiratan, qiratan’ and ‘qiratan, qiratan’. Another proof is that in the hadith of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, the comparison is between individuals, as Sayyiduna Ibn ‘Umar radi Allahu anhuma said: “We were present with the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam after ‘Asr. He said: ‘Your lifespans, compared to the lifespans of the previous nations, are like the remaining part of the day compared to the day that has passed.’” [مسند أحمد بن حنبل، ج10، رقم الحديث 5966، حديث صحيح لغيره، بتحقيق شعيب الارناوط، رواه الطبراني فى الكبير رقم الحديث 13519]

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
In the title, the mention is of a rak‘ah, whereas in the hadith, the attainment of a single prostration (sajdah) is mentioned.
Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah, through this title, explains the hadith by indicating that here “prostration” (sajdah) refers to a rak‘ah, because a rak‘ah is completed with the prostration; thus, by mentioning the final part, the whole is intended.
Moreover, in some narrations, the word “rak‘ah” is used instead of “sajdah.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Mawaqit al-Salat, Hadith: 579) (2)
The meaning of “attainment” (idrak) is that by attaining one rak‘ah, he has caught the prayer within its time; he should complete the remaining rak‘ahs and thus complete his prayer.
As is mentioned in a narration of Sunan al-Bayhaqi: whoever performed one rak‘ah of the Fajr prayer before sunrise and performed the second rak‘ah after sunrise, he has attained the prayer.
And even more explicitly, there is this narration: whoever performed one rak‘ah before sunset and performed the remaining rak‘ahs after sunset, his ‘Asr prayer is not missed.
(Fath al-Bari: 2/75)
Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi writes in Sharh Tarajim Bukhari that Imam al-Bukhari’s intent from this hadith is that if even one rak‘ah is attained before sunset, even if the remaining rak‘ahs are performed after sunset, the prayer is valid and there is no need to make it up (qada’).
Imam al-Bukhari found it necessary to state this with emphasis because Imam al-Shafi‘i divided the time of ‘Asr into four parts:
* Preferred time (waqt mustahabb):
After the sun passes its zenith, when the shadow of an object becomes equal to its length.
* Permissible time with some virtue (waqt jawaz with some fadilah):
Until the shadow becomes twice its length.
* Mere permissible time (mujarrad waqt jawaz):
After the shadow becomes twice its length, until the sunlight becomes yellowish.
* Time of necessity (waqt darurah):
After the yellowing of the sun, it is the time of compulsion.
Whoever delays the prayer until this time will also be sinful.
Imam al-Bukhari’s purpose is that if the prayer is performed in the time of necessity, then even if only a part of it is within the time, the obligation of the prayer is fulfilled; however, due to the delay, he will be sinful.
The meaning is that even if the prayer is delayed until the time of necessity, there is no need for making it up (qada’) or repeating it (i‘adah).
Wallahu a‘lam.

Explanation:
The previous chapter was specific to the Fajr and Asr prayers, while this chapter includes every prayer. This means that if even one rak‘ah of any prayer is attained before the time passes, it is as if the entire prayer has been attained; thus, this prayer will be considered performed (ada) and not considered missed (qada). Imam Nawawi rahimahullah states that there is consensus (ijma‘) of all Muslims on this matter; therefore, the worshipper should complete his prayer. This hadith also proves that if, during the remaining time sufficient to perform one rak‘ah of any prayer, a disbeliever becomes Muslim, a boy reaches puberty, an insane person regains sanity, or a menstruating woman becomes pure, then performing this prayer becomes obligatory upon them.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
In relation to the previous hadith, this hadith contains a generalization, because in that hadith, this ruling was mentioned only for the Fajr and Asr prayers, whereas in this hadith, all five prayers have been included in this ruling. However, if the "al" (alif-lam) in "as-salat" is taken as referring to something specific, then it would mean only Fajr and Asr. In that case, both headings would have the same meaning, which would apparently be repetition. Thus, Allamah Kirmani rahimahullah states regarding this that it is not repetition, because the first chapter refers to the one who attains the amount of time for one rak‘ah, and the meaning of this chapter is the one who attains (performs) one rak‘ah.
(Sharh al-Kirmani: 2/220)

(2)
At this point, Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah has mentioned a subtle point: that wherever Imam Bukhari rahimahullah makes the words of a hadith his chapter heading and makes any change in the wording of the hadith, then with that very change, that hadith will definitely be found somewhere. Thus, at this point, the words in the hadith are (rak‘atan min as-salat), whereas in the heading it is (min as-salat rak‘atan). With this change, this hadith is found in al-Bayhaqi. This shows the vastness of Imam Bukhari rahimahullah’s knowledge regarding the ahadith.
(Fath al-Bari: 2/76)

(3)
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-‘Uthaymin rahimahullah states that this hadith implies that by attaining one rak‘ah of any prayer, its time is considered to have been caught, i.e., if someone attains so much time of a prayer that only one rak‘ah can be performed in it, then it is as if he has attained the complete prayer. Its meaning is that if one gets less than the time to perform one rak‘ah, then the time for that prayer has lapsed.
(Risalah Mawaqit as-Salat, p. 16)

Explanation:
Now he should complete the remainder of the prayer without hesitation. He will attain the reward of performing the prayer within its prescribed time.

Benefits and Issues
This narration is also reported by Sayyidah Aisha radi Allahu anha in Sahih Muslim (609).
This blessed hadith is clear in its meaning: whoever catches one rak‘ah of the ‘Asr prayer before sunset, and then completes the remaining rak‘ahs, his ‘Asr prayer is valid. If someone catches one rak‘ah of the Fajr prayer before sunrise, and then performs the second rak‘ah, his Fajr prayer will be considered performed.

◈ Under this hadith, Hafiz Nawawi rahimahullah (631–676 AH) writes:
«هذا دليل صريح فى أن من صلى ركعة من الصبح أو العصر، ثم خرج الوقت قبل سلامه، لا تبطل صلاته، بل يتمها، وهى صحيحة، وهذا مجمع عليه فى العصر، وأما فى الصبح، فقال به مالك والشافعي وأحمد والعلماء كافة الا أبا حنيفة قال : تبطل صلاة الصبح بطلوع الشمس فيها، لأنه وقت النهي من الصلاة بخلاف غروب الشمس والحديث حجة عليه .»
“This hadith is a clear proof that whoever has performed one rak‘ah of the morning or ‘Asr prayer, and then the time for that prayer ends before he says the salam, his prayer will not be invalid; rather, he will complete his prayer and it will be valid. There is consensus regarding ‘Asr, and regarding Fajr, all the other Imams except Imam Abu Hanifah—such as Imam Malik, Imam Shafi‘i, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and others—hold this view. However, Imam Abu Hanifah says that if the sun rises during the Fajr prayer, the prayer becomes invalid, because this is a prohibited time for prayer, whereas sunset is not a prohibited time. This hadith is an argument against his view.” [شرح صحيح مسلم للنووي : ١/٢٢١۔٢٢٢]

◈ Imam Ibn al-Mundhir al-Naysaburi rahimahullah (d. 318 AH) writes:
«قد جعل النبيّ صلّى اللّٰه عليه وسلّم من أدرك من العصر قبل أن تغرب الشّمس، ومن أدرك ركعة من الصّبح قبل أن تطلع الشّمس مدركا للصّلاتين وجمع بينهما، فلا معنيٰ لتفريق من فرق الشّيئين جمعت السّنّة بينهما، ولو جاز أن تفسد صلاة من جاء الي وقت لا تحلّ الصّلاة فيه ألزم أن تفسد صلاة من ابتدأها فى وقت لا تجوز الصّلاة فيها، وليس فيما ثبت عن رسول اللّٰه صلّى اللّٰه عليه وسلّم الّا التّسليم له وترك أن يحمل على القياس والنّظر ...» “The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has considered a person to have caught the prayer if he has performed one rak‘ah of ‘Asr before sunset or one rak‘ah of Fajr before sunrise. Moreover, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned both prayers together. Therefore, it is not correct to separate what the Sunnah has combined. If the prayer of a person who prays during a disliked time were invalid, then his prayer should have been invalid from the very beginning. However, what is established from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam must be accepted and not subjected to analogy.” [الاوسط لابن المنذر : ٢/٣٤٩]

◈ Karmani Hanafi writes:
«وفي الحديث أنّ من دخل الصّلاة، فصلّي ركعة وخرج الوقت كان مدركا لجميعها، وتكون أداء، وهو الصّحيح .»
“This hadith (of Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu) proves that whoever enters the prayer and performs one rak‘ah, and then the time ends, he is considered to have caught the entire prayer. This is the correct and sound view.” [شرح صحيح البخاري : ٤/٢٠١]
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➋ It is also narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
«اذا أدركت ركعة من صلاة الصّبح قبل أن تطلع الشّمس، فصلّ اليها أخري .»
“If you catch one rak‘ah of the Fajr prayer before the sun rises, then complete it with the second rak‘ah (i.e., complete the prayer).” [مسند الامام احمد : ٢/٢٣٦، ٤٨٩، وسنده، صحيحٌ]
In Musnad Ahmad (2/490), Qatadah rahimahullah has explicitly stated hearing this.
This blessed hadith is an explicit text that whoever catches one rak‘ah of the Fajr prayer before sunrise should complete the prayer by performing the second rak‘ah.

Imam Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr rahimahullah (368–463 AH) has transmitted consensus on this. He writes:
«وهذا اجماع من المسلمين، لا يختلفون فى أنّ هذا المصلّي فرض عليه واجب أن يأتي بتمام صلاة الصّبح وتمام صلاة العصر .»
“There is unanimous consensus among the Muslims, without any difference, that it is obligatory for such a person to complete the Fajr and ‘Asr prayers.” [التمهيد لابن عبد البر : ٣/٢٧٣]
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➌ It is also narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
«من صلّى سجدة واحدة من العصر قبل غروب الشّمس، ثمّ صلّى ما بقي بعد غروب الشّمس، فلم تفته العصر، وقال : ومن صلّى سجدة واحدة من الصّبح قبل طلوع الشّمس، ثمّ صلّى ما بقي بعد طلوع الشّمس، فلم تفته صلاة الصّبح .»
“Whoever performs one rak‘ah of the ‘Asr prayer before sunset, and then performs the remaining prayer after sunset, his ‘Asr prayer is not missed. And whoever performs one rak‘ah of the Fajr prayer before sunrise, and then performs the remaining prayer after sunrise, his Fajr prayer is not missed.” [مسند السراج : ٩٣٦، وسنده، صحيحٌ]
Other general narrations also support this issue.
«قال عبد اللّٰه : سألت أبى عن رجل صلّى بالغداة، فلمّا صلّى ركعة قام فى الثّانية، طلعت الشّمس، قال : يتمّ الصّلاة، هي جائزة .»
“‘Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal rahimahullah says: I asked my father, Imam Ahmad rahimahullah, about the ruling of a person who, after performing one rak‘ah of Fajr prayer, stands for the second and the sun rises. He replied: He should complete his prayer; it is permissible.” [مسائل الامام احمد لابنه عبد الله : ٥٤۔٥٥]
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Now, observe the fatwa that contradicts these authentic Prophetic ahadith and the consensus of the Ummah:
Question: ‘If, while performing the Fajr prayer, the sun rises, or while performing the ‘Asr prayer, the sun sets, will the Fajr and ‘Asr prayers be considered performed?’
The answer: ‘The ‘Asr prayer will be valid, but the Fajr prayer will not be.’ [احسن الفتاوي از رشيد احمد ديوبندي لدهيانوي كراچوي : ٢/١٣١]

Question: ‘If the sun rises during the Fajr prayer, will the prayer be valid or not?’
The answer: ‘According to the Hanafis, the prayer will be invalid. After the sun has risen and ascended, he should then perform the Fajr prayer again.’ [فتاوي دارالعلوم ديوبند : ٤/٤٧]
Both of these fatwas from some people are against the authentic ahadith and the consensus of the Ummah. This is acting upon one part of the hadith and opposing the other. In the Noble Qur’an, Allah the Exalted says:
«أَفَتُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَابِ وَتَكْفُرُوْنَ بِبَعْضٍ» [البقرة : ٨٥]
“Do you believe in part of the Book and disbelieve in part?” «فَاِلَي اللّٰهِ الْمُشْتَكيٰ !»

Janab Muhammad Taqi Usmani Deobandi Hayati Sahib, acknowledging this reality, writes:
“The hadith of the chapter is completely against the Hanafis. Various Hanafi scholars have made great efforts to answer it, but the reality is that no satisfactory answer has been given. This is why it is counted among the difficulties for the Hanafi school.” [درسِ ترمذي از تقي عثماني : ١/٤٣٤]

Furthermore, Taqi Usmani Sahib, after commenting on his own arguments in this issue, writes:
“The author of Ma‘arif al-Sunan (Muhammad Yusuf Banuri Deobandi) has presented the explanation of Hazrat Shah Sahib (Anwar Shah Kashmiri Deobandi) in detail and with justification, but in the end, he himself objected that even this does not bring satisfaction to the heart. Besides, a common objection to all these explanations is that interpreting the hadith away from its apparent meaning can only be done on the basis of a text or a legal proof, and in this matter, the Hanafis have no explicit text regarding differentiating between Fajr and ‘Asr, only analogy, and that too is not strong. The reality is that, up to now, I (Muhammad Taqi Usmani) have not come across any explanation from the Hanafis that is sufficient and satisfactory. Therefore, twisting the hadith to fit the Hanafi school is not appropriate in any way. This is why Hazrat (Rashid Ahmad) Gangohi said that all the Hanafi interpretations regarding this hadith are baseless, and instead of stretching the hadith of Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu, it should be openly said that we have not understood the Hanafi arguments in this matter, and although it is impermissible to pray at these times, if someone does pray, it will be valid. Besides Hazrat Gangohi, the author of Bahr al-Ra’iq (Ibn Najim Hanafi) and Allamah Shabbir Ahmad Usmani have also preferred the view of the three Imams (Imam Shafi‘i, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Imam Malik rahimahullah) in terms of evidence. Perhaps this is why there is a narration from Imam Abu Yusuf that the Fajr prayer is not invalidated by sunrise.” [درسِ ترمذي از تقي عثماني : ١/٤٣٩۔٤٤٠]
«اللّٰهم أرنا الحقّ حقّا وارزقنا اتباعه، وأرنا الباطل باطلا وارزقنا اجتنابه !»

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
The meaning of this hadith is not that by catching one rak‘ah before sunrise or sunset, the entire prayer is considered performed and there is no need to complete the remaining prayer. Rather, its meaning is that if a person performs one rak‘ah before sunrise or sunset, he has attained the time for performing the prayer. Now, if he performs the remaining part of the prayer after sunrise or sunset, he will still receive the reward of having performed the prayer within its time.
The portion of the prayer performed after the time has ended will also be counted as performed (ada), and it will not be considered as missed (qada).
This is the understanding of the majority of hadith scholars regarding this hadith.
The following hadith also supports this:
“Whoever catches one rak‘ah before sunrise and performs one rak‘ah after sunrise, he has attained the entire prayer.
And whoever performs one rak‘ah of ‘Asr before sunset and then completes the remaining prayer after sunset, his prayer will not be considered missed (qada).” (Al-Sunan al-Kubra lil-Bayhaqi: 1/378)
(2)
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-‘Uthaymin rahimahullah says:
If someone gets the opportunity to perform one rak‘ah before the time for prayer ends, it is as if he has performed the entire prayer within its time, because the hadith states that whoever catches one rak‘ah of the prayer has attained the entire prayer.
The wording of this hadith guides us that if someone performs one rak‘ah before the time for prayer ends, he has attained the time for performing that prayer.
And its implication is that if someone gets less than one rak‘ah, he will not be considered to have attained the time for performing the prayer.
Thus, two matters result from attaining the time for performing the prayer:
➊ Undoubtedly, whoever catches one rak‘ah, the remainder of his prayer will also be counted as performed within its time, but this does not mean that a person should deliberately delay the prayer, because it is necessary for a person to complete the entire prayer within its time. Accordingly, it is mentioned in the hadith that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“The prayer of the hypocrite is that he sits waiting for the sun, and when it is between the two horns of the Shaytan, he stands and pecks out four pecks (i.e., prays quickly) and completes it.
He only remembers Allah in it a little.”
➋ Whoever gets the opportunity to perform the amount of one rak‘ah within the time of any prayer, whether at the beginning or end of the time, it is obligatory for him to perform the entire prayer.
This is clarified by the following two examples:
➊ If a woman gets her menses so late after sunset that she could have performed one rak‘ah in that time, but she did not pray, then it is obligatory for her to make up the entire Maghrib prayer.
After her menses end, she will make up the entire prayer.
➋ If a woman attains purity from menses so much before sunrise that she could perform one rak‘ah of Fajr in that time, then it is obligatory for her to perform the entire Fajr prayer.
On the contrary, if a woman gets her menses so soon after sunset that she could not have performed even one rak‘ah, then it is not obligatory for her to perform Maghrib.
Similarly, if she attains purity from menses so little before sunrise that she could not have performed even one rak‘ah, then it is not obligatory for her to perform Fajr, because in both cases she did not get the opportunity to perform even one rak‘ah.
(Risalat Mawaqit al-Salat, pp. 16, 17)
(3)
‘Allamah Nawawi rahimahullah, while explaining this hadith, writes:
This hadith is an explicit proof that whoever performs one rak‘ah of Fajr or ‘Asr, but the time ends before he says the salam, his prayer will not be invalid, rather he should complete it, and by doing so, there will be no deficiency in his prayer.
Regarding ‘Asr, there is consensus among all the scholars of the Ummah, while regarding Fajr, this is the position of all jurists except Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah.
Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah says that the prayer will become invalid at sunrise, because he has now entered a time in which prayer is prohibited, unlike sunset.
This hadith refutes the position of Imam Abu Hanifah.
(Sharh al-Karmani: 2/219)
(4)
Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah, after mentioning several narrations of this meaning, writes that these ahadith refute the position of ‘Allamah Tahawi rahimahullah.
According to Imam Tahawi rahimahullah, the mentioned hadith is specific to a child, a disbeliever, and a menstruating woman, i.e., if a child reaches puberty, a disbeliever accepts Islam, or a menstruating woman attains purity, and after a short while the sun rises or sets, and before that there was time to perform one rak‘ah, then it is obligatory for them to perform that prayer.
In reality, Imam Tahawi rahimahullah, through this specification, wants to support his school of thought that if someone can only perform one rak‘ah before sunrise, his prayer will be invalid, because he completed his prayer in the time of dislike (karahah).
When the mentioned hadith was contrary to his chosen position, he specified this hadith for the child, disbeliever, woman, and one who has missed part of the prayer, etc.
(Fath al-Bari: 2/75)

English Commentary:
1:
That is, due to this (i.e., catching one rak‘ah), he became eligible to join the remaining rak‘ahs with it, and his prayer will be considered as performed (ada), not as missed (qada’).
This does not mean that this one rak‘ah will suffice for the entire prayer.
And those who say that if the sun rises during the prayer, his prayer becomes invalid, interpret this narration to mean that if he gets enough time in which he can perform one rak‘ah, then he becomes eligible for the prayer and the prayer becomes obligatory upon him—for example, if a child reaches puberty at such a time, or a menstruating woman becomes pure from menstruation, or a disbeliever accepts Islam, and there is enough time within the prescribed period to perform one rak‘ah, then the prayer becomes obligatory upon him.
However, the narration of al-Nasa’i, in which the words ((فَلْيُتِمَّ صَلَاتَه)) (“then let him complete his prayer”) are mentioned, negates this interpretation.

English Commentary:
1:
That is, he has attained the merit of the congregation, or he has caught the time of the prayer. Included in its generality is the Friday (Jumu‘ah) prayer as well. Therefore, if someone catches even one rak‘ah (unit) of the two rak‘ahs of Jumu‘ah, it is as if he has attained the entire congregational Jumu‘ah prayer.

2:
If someone joins the imam in any part of the second rak‘ah of the Jumu‘ah prayer, will he then perform the full four rak‘ahs of Zuhr or will he complete only two rak‘ahs? For a detailed discussion on this topic, refer to “Qaul Thabit Urdu Sharh Muwatta Imam Malik,” in the chapter “Kitab Wuqoof al-Salat, Bab Waqt al-Jumu‘ah.” According to the correct school, in brief, such a follower (muqtadi) should perform only two rak‘ahs, not four.

412. Commentary:
➊ The aforementioned hadith is for those with a valid excuse, for example, when someone oversleeps or forgets, and wakes up at the very end of the time, or remembers the prayer at the last moment—then for such a person, that is the time for the prayer. However, for one who delays without any excuse, it is extremely disliked (makruh), as will be mentioned in the following hadith. The following statement by Imam Nawawi rahimahullah regarding the time of the Asr prayer, which he mentioned in his commentary on Sahih Muslim, is very important: “Our companions (the Shafi'is) say that the Asr prayer has five times: (1) The time of excellence (fadilah). (2) The time of choice (ikhtiyar). (3) The time of permissibility without dislike (jawaz bila karahah). (4) The time of permissibility with dislike (jawaz bil karahah). (5) The time of excuse (‘udhr).

The time of excellence is its earliest time, and the time of choice is until the shadow of everything becomes twice its length. The time of permissibility is until the sun becomes yellow, and the time of permissibility with dislike is until the sun sets. The time of excuse is the time of Zuhr, meaning when a person, due to travel or rain or another excuse, combines Zuhr and Asr. And when the sun sets, then this prayer becomes qada (missed).” End quote.

«وَمَنْ كَانَ مَعْدُورًا وَأَدْرَكَ مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ رَكَعَةٌ فَقَدْ أَدْرَكَهَا»

And whoever, due to an excuse, 1 is able to perform only one rak‘ah within the time, his complete prayer will be considered valid. 2

1. Because, except for an excuse, it is obligatory to perform the prayer at its prescribed time, as is evident from the Prophetic hadith: «صل الصلاة لوقتها» “Perform the prayer at its (prescribed) time.”
[مسلم 648]

Further details will follow.

(Nawawi rahimahullah) The scholars are unanimously agreed that it is not permissible to deliberately delay (the prayer) until the time of sunrise or sunset. [شرح مسلم 115/3]

2. ➊ It is narrated from Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: «من أدرك من الصبح ركعة قبل أن تطلع الشمس فقد أدرك الصبح ومن أدرك ركعة من العصر قبل أن تغرب الشمس فقد أدرك العصر» “Whoever catches one rak‘ah of the Fajr prayer before sunrise has caught the Fajr prayer, and whoever catches one rak‘ah of the ‘Asr prayer before sunset has caught the ‘Asr prayer.”

[بخاري 579، كتاب مواقيت الصلاة: باب من أدرك من الفجر ركعة، مسلم 608، أبو داود 412، ترمذي 186، نسائي 257/1، ابن ماجة 1122، دارمي 277/1، أبو عوانة 358/1، شرح معاني الآثار 90/1، بيهقي 367/1]

➋ It is narrated from ‘A’ishah radi Allahu anha that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: «من أدرك مـن الــعـصـر ســجـدة قبل أن تغرب الشمس أو من الصبح قبل أن تطلع الشمس فقد أدركها» “Whoever catches one rak‘ah (here, sajdah refers to rak‘ah) of the ‘Asr prayer before sunset, or one rak‘ah of the Fajr prayer before sunrise, has caught that prayer (i.e., the ‘Asr or Fajr prayer).”

[احمد 78/6، مسلم 609، كتاب المساجد و مواضع الصلاة: باب من أدرك ركعة من الصلاة فقد أدرك تلك الصلاة، نسائي 273/1، ابن ماجة 700، بيهقي 378/1، أبو عوانة 374/1]

It is thus understood that catching one rak‘ah of the Fajr or ‘Asr prayer before their times end is as if the complete prayer has been caught.

(Shafi‘i rahimahullah, Ahmad rahimahullah) are of this opinion.

(Abu Hanifah rahimahullah) holds that this is specific only to the ‘Asr prayer; thus, the Fajr prayer becomes invalid after sunrise, even if one rak‘ah was performed before it (his evidence is the hadith in which performing prayer at the time of sunrise is prohibited, but the previous ahadith specify the prohibition in that hadith). [الأم للشافعي 156/1، المغنى 516/2، كشاف القناع 257/1، شرح فتح القدير 417/1]

(Rajih) Certainly, the position of Imam Shafi‘i rahimahullah is the prevalent one, because the aforementioned authentic ahadith bear witness to it.

(Ibn Hajar rahimahullah) is also of this opinion. [فتح البارى 250/2]

(Shawkani rahimahullah) also gives preference to this view. [نيل الأوطار 482/1]

(‘Abd al-Rahman Mubarakpuri rahimahullah) also holds this position. [تحفة الأحوذى 581/1]

(Ibn Qayyim rahimahullah) has established this matter and has decisively refuted the opponents. [أعلام الموقعين 341/2-344]

... For the original article, see ...
Fiqh al-Hadith by Imran Ayyub Lahori, Volume 1, p. 315

893. Commentary:
➊ A masbuq, that is, one who has missed part of the prayer behind the imam, should begin the prayer by saying the opening takbir (takbir tahrimah) and join the imam, regardless of the position the imam is in.

➋ In the present hadith, we have translated «الركعة» as "rak‘ah" (unit of prayer), whereas some scholars interpret it here to mean "ruku‘" (bowing). A large number of our elders and scholars from the Indian subcontinent take it to mean "rak‘ah." And this is what is transmitted from Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu. As Shawkani has discussed in Nayl al-Awtar [2/245۔ 244], all those esteemed imams who hold the obligation of reciting al-Fatihah behind the imam do not consider the rak‘ah to be attained by merely joining in ruku‘. Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, Imam Ibn Khuzaymah, Taqi al-Din al-Subki, and other Shafi‘i scholars have also adopted this view. However, there are also many who hold that joining in ruku‘ suffices for the rak‘ah, but the stronger opinion is that a rak‘ah consists of two things: standing (qiyam) and recitation (qira’ah), and the one who joins in ruku‘ is deprived of both. Therefore, it is more correct to repeat the rak‘ah if one only joined in ruku‘. «والله اعلم»

And in such matters, the general public should consult reliable and well-researched scholars in their locality.

➌ For further clarification on the issue of catching the ruku‘, see the benefits under hadith number [283].

1121. Commentary:
Whoever catches one rak‘ah (unit) of the Friday prayer with the congregation and within the time of the prayer, he has attained the performance and the virtue of the prayer. Thus, if he catches one rak‘ah of Jumu‘ah, he should perform one more rak‘ah. Otherwise, he should complete four rak‘ahs. The leading Imams—Sufyan al-Thawri, Ibn al-Mubarak, al-Shafi‘i, Ahmad, and Ishaq—state this. Allamah Muhammad ‘Abd al-Rahman Mubarakpuri, in Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi, has given preference to the Hanafi position: that if the follower catches any part of the prayer with the Imam, even if it is only the tashahhud, then he will complete the remaining prayer as two rak‘ahs of Jumu‘ah, and he will not pray the Zuhr prayer. «والله أعلم»

515. Commentary:

➊ The meaning of the hadith is that the beginning of the prayer is what is considered valid, not its end. That is, whoever begins the prayer within its prescribed time and manages to perform at least one rak‘ah (unit of prayer) within the time, his prayer will be considered as performed (ada), not as missed (qada). (2) If such a situation arises, then the rising or setting of the sun during the prayer does not invalidate the prayer; rather, one should continue and complete the prayer. This is the position of the majority of scholars. The Hanafis have made a distinction: if, while performing the Fajr prayer, the sun rises, the prayer becomes invalid because the disliked (makruh) time has commenced within the prayer. However, if the sun sets while performing the ‘Asr prayer, the prayer does not become invalid because even before sunset it was already a disliked time. But this reasoning and distinction are contrary to many ahadith, and it is an analogy (qiyas) which is not valid in the face of textual evidence (nass). For this reason, the scholars have not accepted it.

➌ To avoid this objection, the Hanafis have interpreted the meaning of this hadith as: whoever attains the time for one rak‘ah, it becomes obligatory upon him to perform the entire prayer. However, in some narrations, it is explicitly stated: «فلیتم صلاته» “He should complete his prayer.” See: [صحیح البخاري ، مواقیت الصلاة ، حدیث : 556]
This explicit wording is also present in hadith 517. These words refute their interpretation.

➍ In this hadith, there is mention of attaining two rak‘ahs of ‘Asr, whereas in other narrations, even one rak‘ah is mentioned. See: [صحیح البخاري ، مواقیت الصلاة ، حدیث : 579 ، وصحیح مسلم ، المساجد ، حدیث : 608]
Therefore, whether one attains two rak‘ahs or one, the ruling is the same.

Commentary:
(1)
In another hadith, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
(Wa waqtul-'asri ma lam tasfarrash-shams) (Sahih Muslim, al-Masajid, Chapter: The Times of the Five Prayers, Hadith: 612)
The time for the 'Asr prayer remains until the sunlight turns yellow.
However, if due to some necessity or excuse one is unable to perform the prayer within this time, it can be offered until the sun sets. Even if one performs just one rak'ah before the sun sets, the prayer is not considered missed (qada), rather it is considered performed (ada) within its time. But it is prohibited to delay the 'Asr prayer without excuse, out of laziness, to such an extent.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has described such a prayer as the prayer of the hypocrite. (Sahih Muslim, al-Masajid, Chapter: The Recommendation to Offer 'Asr Early, Hadith: 622)

(2)
The same ruling applies to the Fajr prayer: if one performs one rak'ah before sunrise, it is considered performed within its time.

(3)
Some scholars, through certain juristic principles, have differentiated between the Fajr and 'Asr prayers.
According to them, this ruling mentioned in the hadith under discussion is correct for the 'Asr prayer, but in the case of the Fajr prayer, if the sun rises while one is praying, in their view the prayer becomes invalid.
However, in the presence of the clear command of the hadith, there is no need for analogy (qiyas).
Therefore, the ruling mentioned in the hadith is correct for both the Fajr and 'Asr prayers.

Benefit:

Multiple meanings are derived from this comprehensive blessed hadith, for example:

➊ Whoever performs one rak‘ah of a prayer before its time ends, his entire prayer will be counted as performed (ada), not as made up (qada).

➋ For those upon whom prayer is not obligatory—such as a minor, an insane person, or a woman in menstruation or postnatal bleeding—if their excuse ends just one rak‘ah’s time before the prayer time finishes, then that prayer becomes obligatory upon them. For example, if at the end of the time for Zuhr prayer, there is still enough time left to perform one rak‘ah and at that moment a child reaches puberty, an insane person regains sanity, menstruation or postnatal bleeding ends, or a disbeliever becomes Muslim, then Zuhr prayer becomes obligatory upon them.

➌ Whoever catches one rak‘ah with the congregation receives the reward of the entire congregation. However, this meaning is not correct, because it would imply that whoever joins the congregation for less than one rak‘ah does not receive the reward of congregation, whereas the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:

«مَن تَوَضَّأَ فَاحْسَنَ وُضُوءَ، ثُمَّ رَاحَ فَوَجد النَّاسَ قَدْ صَلَّوْا أَعْطَاهُ اللهُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ مِثْلَ أَجْرٍ مَنْ صَلاهَا وَحَضَرَهَا»

“Whoever performs ablution (wudu) excellently, then goes (to the congregation) and finds that the people have already finished the prayer, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, grants him the reward of one who attended the congregation and performed the prayer, due to his sincere intention.”

This narration is not in conflict or contradiction with the hadith under discussion, because this narration is about the one who makes an effort and comes in a particular state from home, i.e., after performing ablution well, but does not catch the prayer; he will receive the full reward of the prayer. The hadith under discussion is about the one who joins the prayer and catches one rak‘ah, so he will be counted as having caught the prayer.

[ابوداود: 564، نسائي: 856، اس كي سند حسن لغيره هے۔ نيز ديكهيے ابو داود: 563]

➍ Whoever catches a full rak‘ah with the imam attains the ruling of the imam’s congregational prayer and must participate in the imam’s prostration of forgetfulness (sujud as-sahw), and if he is a traveler, he will pray four rak‘ahs like the resident imam.

But this meaning is also not correct, because if a person joins the imam before the imam says salam, even if he does not catch a full rak‘ah, he must perform sujud as-sahw with the imam, because the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:

«إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ الاِمَامُ لِيُؤْتُم بِهِ فَلَا تَخْتَلِفُوا عَلَيْهِ»

“Indeed, the imam is only appointed to be followed, so do not differ from him.”

[صحيح مسلم: 414، نيز ديكهيے، صحيح بخاري: 378]

And he said:

«إِذَا أَتٰى أَحَدُكُمُ الصَّلاةَ وَالاِمَامُ عَلَى حَالٍ فَلْيَصْنَعُ كَمَا يَصْنَعُ الامام»

“When any of you comes to prayer and the imam is in any state, he should do what the imam is doing.”

[ترمذي: 591، الصحيحة: 1188]

➎ Whoever catches one rak‘ah of the Friday prayer (Jumu‘ah) has attained the ruling of the Friday prayer. Now he will only add one more rak‘ah afterwards, as is clarified in some narrations.

[ابن ماجه: 1121- اس كي سند صحيح ہے]

And whoever does not catch a full rak‘ah of Jumu‘ah with the imam, after the imam says salam, he will pray four rak‘ahs with the intention of Zuhr, as is the position of Imam Malik rahimahullah and Imam Shafi‘i rahimahullah. However, according to Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah, Imam Ibn Hazm rahimahullah, and the Ahl al-Hadith, if a person joins the imam in any prayer before the imam says salam, he attains the ruling of the prayer performed by the imam and will complete the remaining rak‘ahs, because the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:

«فَمَا أَدْرَكْتُمْ فَصَلُّوا وَمَا فَاتَكُمْ فَأَتِمُوا»

“So whatever you catch with the imam, pray it, and whatever you miss, complete it afterwards.”

[بخاري: 635، مسلم: 602]

As for the narration of Ibn Majah, which Imam Malik rahimahullah and Imam Shafi‘i rahimahullah have used as evidence, its clarification will be seen ahead in the benefit of [حديث: 235].

➏ If by rak‘ah is meant the bowing (ruku‘), then the meaning will be that whoever joins the imam in ruku‘, that rak‘ah will be counted for him. That is, whoever catches the ruku‘ is counted as having caught the rak‘ah, as is the view of the majority, the four imams rahimahullah, Shaykh Ibn Baz rahimahullah, Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah, and the Saudi Council of Fatwa, etc. Since Imam Malik rahimahullah also holds this view, he mentions after this noble hadith several statements of the Companions radi Allahu anhum in accordance with this meaning.

However, according to Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, Shawkani rahimahullah, Ibn Hazm rahimahullah, and the Ahl al-Hadith, the rak‘ah in which Surah al-Fatihah and standing (qiyam) are not performed is not counted, because the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:

«لَا صَلَاةَ لِمَنْ لَّمْ يَقْرَأْ بِفَاتِحَةِ الكتاب»

“Whoever does not recite al-Fatihah, his prayer is not valid.”

[بخاري: 756، مسلم: 344]

And since every rak‘ah is considered an independent prayer, the claim of the Ahl al-Hadith is that no one’s rak‘ah is valid without al-Fatihah. [والله أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ]

Benefit:

This comprehensive blessed hadith has two meanings:

➊ One is that whoever is able to perform one rak‘ah of the Fajr prayer before the sun rises should begin the prayer; in such a case, his prayer will be counted as “performed on time” (ada) and not as a make-up (qada). The same applies to the ‘Asr prayer: although the time for these prayers ends as soon as the sun rises or sets, and the rest of the prayer after the first rak‘ah is performed after the time has ended, the Shari‘ah, out of mercy and kindness, has counted the entire prayer as performed on time due to the blessing of that one rak‘ah. It should be noted that according to this meaning, this hadith pertains to the case where the prayer is delayed due to an excuse, such as sleep, travel, forgetfulness, etc., and a person was unable to pray at the beginning or middle of the time. Deliberately delaying the ‘Asr prayer until the sun turns yellow is a sign of hypocrisy.... Our Hanafi brothers should abandon prejudice and consider both parts of this hadith as worthy of being followed. They accept it regarding ‘Asr but reject the Fajr part, considering it contrary to analogy (qiyas). Fear Allah! When the blessed statement of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has been established with an authentic chain, then why should the Prophetic command be rejected in favor of following any imam, jurist, or member of the ummah? Remember, regarding those who accept some parts of the Shari‘ah for their own interests and desires, or by giving preference to their own minds and thoughts, and reject other parts, Allah the Exalted has said:

«افتُؤْمِدُونَ بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَابِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ فَمَا جَزَاءُ مَن يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ مِنكُمْ إِلَّا خِزى فى الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَى أَشَدِ الْعَذَابِ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ» [البقرة 2: 85]

“So do you believe in part of the Book and disbelieve in part? Then what is the recompense for those among you who do that except disgrace in the life of this world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be driven to the severest punishment. And Allah is never unaware of what you do.”

The Hanafis, merely in imitation of their imam, have tried to make many interpretations of this hadith, but in view of this verse, how could the heart be satisfied? Therefore, some tried to take other paths, but did not abandon the statement of their imam; so some declared this hadith abrogated and abandoned it altogether, while others committed distortion of the clear words of the hadith in meaning, and even dared to accuse the narrators of the hadith of confusion and misunderstanding. Among the Hanafis, only Shaykh ‘Abd al-Hayy Lakhnawi was granted the ability, and in the margin of “Sharh Wiqayah,” he accepted both parts of this hadith like the majority of jurists. [مزيد تفصيل كے ليے ديكهيے۔ مرعاة المفاتح: 308/2 -311]

➋ Another meaning included in the comprehensive words of this hadith is that if a disbeliever accepts Islam at a time when only enough time remains to perform one rak‘ah of the prayer before the time ends, then that prayer becomes obligatory upon him, and it is obligatory for him to perform it later. Similarly, if a child reaches puberty at such a time, or a woman becomes pure from menstruation or postnatal bleeding at such a time, then that prayer also becomes obligatory upon them.

Lexical Explanation:
«مَنْ أَدْرَكَ رَكْعَةَ» Whoever has caught one rak‘ah, meaning a complete rak‘ah, i.e., standing (qiyam), recitation of al-Fatihah, and bowing and prostration (ruku‘ and sujud) have been performed.
«قَبْلَ أَنْ تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ» That is, before the rising of the sun, and the second rak‘ah is performed after sunrise.
«فَقَدْ أَدْرَكَ الصُّبْحُ» Then he has attained the (Fajr) prayer, meaning his prayer has been performed (it is not considered missed/qada).

Benefit:
It is prohibited to begin prayer at the exact time of sunrise or sunset, but if someone has already started the prayer before sunrise or sunset, and then sunrise or sunset occurs, the worshipper should complete the second rak‘ah or the remaining rak‘ahs; his prayer will be valid. This is the meaning of the statement of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. The Hanafis say that if one starts ‘Asr in the deficient time and finishes it in the deficient time, then his prayer is valid, because just as the obligation was imposed, so too is its performance. In contrast, if one starts Fajr in the complete time and finishes it in the deficient time, then his prayer is invalid, because its performance is not as the obligation was imposed. In this way, they accept one part of the same hadith and, merely because the other part is against their position, they reject it and become an example of «أَفَتُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَابِ وَتَكْفُرُوْنَ بِبَعْضٍ». These are the legal subtleties of the Hanafis. «فَاعْتَبِرُوْا يٰاُوْلِي الْاَبْصَارِ».

Hadith Authentication (Takhrij al-Hadith):
[وأخرجه البخاري 580، ومسلم 607، من حديث ما لك به۔]

Jurisprudential Understanding (Tafaqquh):
➊ Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhu used to say «إذا فاتتك الركعة فقد فاتتك السجدة»: If your rak‘ah is missed, then your prostration (sajdah) is also missed. [موطا امام مالك10/1 ح15 وسنده صحيح]
➋ There is a difference of opinion among the pious predecessors (salaf salihin) regarding whether a rak‘ah is counted if one joins in the bowing (ruku‘) or not. However, according to us, in light of authentic ahadith and the understanding of the salaf salihin, the preferred view is that the rak‘ah is not counted for the one who joins in ruku‘, because an important pillar of the prayer is missed by this, namely Surah al-Fatihah, without which the prayer is not valid.
◄ Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu said:
«لا يجزئك إلا أن تدرك الإمام قائماً قبل أن تركع»
“Your rak‘ah is not sufficient until you find the imam in the standing position (qiyam) before ruku‘.” [جزٔ القراء للبخاري:132، وسنده حسن،]
◄ Sayyiduna Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri radi Allahu anhu said:
“None of you should bow (ruku‘) until he has recited Surah al-Fatihah.” [جزٔ القراء للبخاري:133، وسنده صحیح]
➌ The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
«مَنْ أَدْرَكَ رَكْعَةً مِنْ يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَقَدْ أَدْرَكَهَا وَلْيُضِفْ إِلَيْهَا أُخْرَى»
“Whoever catches one rak‘ah of the Friday prayer (Jumu‘ah) has attained the prayer, and he should complete it with another rak‘ah.” [سنن الدارقطني 323/2ح 1608، وسنده حسن]
From this hadith, it is understood that whoever does not catch even one rak‘ah on the day of Jumu‘ah should pray four rak‘ahs. As for the narration in Akhbar al-Iman by Abu Nu‘aym al-Asbahani [2004] in which it is mentioned that the one who does not catch Jumu‘ah should also pray two rak‘ahs, this narration is weak due to the unknown status of Muhammad ibn Nuh ibn Hamd al-Shaybani al-Simsar.

Hadith Authentication: [وأخرجه البخاري 579، ومسلم 608، من حديث مالك به]
Jurisprudential Understanding:
➊ See the previous hadith: 96
➋ It is clearly established from this hadith that whoever performs one rak‘ah of the morning (Fajr) prayer before the sun rises, and then the sun rises, he has attained the morning prayer. Therefore, he should now complete the second rak‘ah, and after the tashahhud, he should say the salam, and his morning prayer is complete. Some people say, “In such a situation, the morning prayer becomes invalid.” This statement of theirs is baseless and without evidence. While discussing this issue without any proof, Rashid Ahmad Ludhianwi Deobandi wrote: “In short, this issue is still in need of further research; nevertheless, our fatwa and practice will remain in accordance with the Imam, rahimahullah ta‘ala, because we are followers (muqallid) of the Imam, rahimahullah ta‘ala, and for a follower, the statement of the Imam is authoritative, not the four evidences (adillah arba‘ah), for deriving evidence from them is the duty of a mujtahid.” [ارشاد القاري اليٰ صحيح البخاري ص412]
From this admission, several points become clear:
First:
The followers of taqlid do not consider the Qur’an, hadith, and consensus (ijma‘) as authoritative, but rather regard the statement attributed to their Imam as authoritative.
Second:
According to the people of taqlid, half of a single hadith is obligatory to act upon, while the other half is not worthy of being acted upon.
Third:
According to the people of taqlid, one should persist in a baseless statement even in the absence of evidence.
Fourth:
The harmful disease of taqlid is the foundation of hadith rejection.

Benefit:
It is established from this hadith that the virtue of performing prayer in congregation is very great.