Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
From here, the chapter heading is derived, because the Friday prayer (Jumu‘ah) is also a prayer, and just as it is prohibited to run for it, the command is given to walk with a normal gait. This is precisely the meaning of the chapter heading.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
The purpose of Imam Bukhari rahimahullah in mentioning this hadith is to clarify that the striving (sa‘y) mentioned in the noble verse regarding Jumu‘ah is not the same striving that is prohibited in the aforementioned hadith. This is because, in the verse, sa‘y refers to making an effort to go (to the prayer), as narrated in the explanation from ‘Umar radi Allahu anhu. In the hadith, however, sa‘y refers to running, which is legally prohibited, because in contrast to it, the word mashy (walking) is used, which means to walk on foot.
(Fath al-Bari: 2/502)
In addition to this, there is also a difference between sa‘y towards prayer (salah) and sa‘y towards Jumu‘ah.
Sa‘y towards prayer is prohibited because when a person comes running for prayer, he will join the prayer while panting, and doing so is contrary to the humility and submissiveness (khushu‘) required in prayer. Whereas, in the case of sa‘y towards Jumu‘ah, this does not occur, because when one comes striving for Jumu‘ah, he will have some time before the prayer to rest and relax, and thus there will be no disturbance in the prayer.
This means that anything which, in terms of its outcome and result, is contrary to calmness and dignity is prohibited, and there is no harm in performing that which does not disturb calmness and dignity.
(Fath al-Bari: 2/504)

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
There are two scenarios for someone who comes running quickly for prayer:
➊ The first is that the iqamah has already been called for the prayer, and the worshipper hastens so that he may join the prayer quickly and attain the virtue of the first takbir (takbir ula). However, despite having such good intentions, it is prohibited to come running quickly for prayer, as mentioned in the hadith cited.
➋ The second scenario is that the iqamah has not yet been called for the prayer, and he can certainly join the first takbir and the first rak‘ah, yet he still comes running to join the prayer. This too is prohibited, as is evident from the hadith of Abu Qatadah radi Allahu anhu (635), because such an action is contrary to the dignity and tranquility of the prayer.
Some scholars have explained the wisdom behind this prohibition in these words: that the one who comes running to join the prayer after the iqamah will be out of breath, which is contrary to humility and submissiveness (khushu‘ and khudu‘) during the prayer, because this may affect his recitation and other rulings related to the prayer.

(2)
In the narration of Sahih Muslim, there is an addition: when any of you intends to pray, he is considered to be in a state of prayer even before actually performing it.
On this basis, the worshipper must also avoid such actions before the prayer that are contrary to the nature of prayer.
If, due to coming to the prayer with calmness and tranquility, he misses a part of the prayer, he will still not be deprived of the reward of the prayer.
One benefit of coming to the prayer in a dignified manner is that walking slowly will also increase his reward, because by doing so he will have to take more steps for the prayer, and it is established from the hadith that for every step, his ranks are raised.
(Fath al-Bari: 2/154)

(3)
The issue of the order of the prayer of the masbuq (the person who has missed a part of the prayer) also falls under this hadith, because most of the narrators who report this hadith use the word “completion” (itmam) for the remaining prayer, which implies that the prayer performed with the imam is the last part, and he must complete the first part.
The result of this difference appears in the case where a person joins the imam in the third rak‘ah of Maghrib. After the imam says salam, he has to perform the remaining two rak‘ahs. According to those who hold the view of “completion” (the Shafi‘is), although it was the imam’s last rak‘ah, for the masbuq it is his first rak‘ah completed, so after the salam, he will sit for tashahhud after joining one rak‘ah with the first, then after performing the third rak‘ah, he will sit for the final sitting (qa‘dah akhira) and then say salam.
In contrast, the “qada” (making up) view (the Hanafis) is that he performed his last rak‘ah with the imam, and now he must perform the first and second rak‘ahs, so after the salam, in the first rak‘ah he will recite the opening supplication (thana), ta‘awwudh, and Surah al-Fatihah along with another surah, then after performing the second rak‘ah, he will sit for the final sitting and say salam.
According to us, the first view is more correct, for the following reasons:
➊ It is narrated from Ali radi Allahu anhu that whatever part of the prayer you catch with the imam, that is your first prayer.
(Al-Sunan al-Kubra lil-Bayhaqi: 2/299)
➋ The command of “completion” is proof that whatever prayer the masbuq performed with the imam was his initial prayer.
And the narrations in which the word “qada” is used, it is also in the meaning of “completion.”
As Allah the Exalted says:
﴿ فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَانتَشِرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ ﴾ “Then when the prayer is completed, disperse in the land.”
(Al-Jumu‘ah 62:10)

(3)
If the prayer performed with the imam is considered the last rak‘ah for the masbuq, then he would not need to recite tashahhud in the last rak‘ah of the remaining prayer, because he has already recited it with the imam. However, no one holds this view; rather, all scholars instruct that even if he has recited tashahhud with the imam, he must recite tashahhud again in the last rak‘ah.

Benefits:

➊ There is a difference between this hadith of Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu and the hadith narrated in the previous chapter from Abu Qatadah radi Allahu anhu: In the hadith of Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu, the command is to come with calmness and dignity upon hearing the iqamah, and not to run. Whereas in the hadith of Abu Qatadah radi Allahu anhu, it is mentioned that when you come for prayer—whether you come after hearing the iqamah or before it—you should walk with calmness and dignity, and not run. From this, it is understood that it is necessary to come with calmness and dignity not only after hearing the iqamah but also before it; one should not come running, because this is contrary to dignity and calmness. Running causes one to become breathless and agitated. This disrupts the humility and submissiveness (khushu‘ and khudu‘) in prayer. It should be noted that sakinah (calmness) pertains to the heart, as it is said: «هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ السَّكِينَةَ فِي قُلُوبِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ» [الفتح: 4] “He it is Who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers.” And waqar (dignity) is manifested through the limbs, which is a result of the heart’s tranquility.

➋ The reason for running upon hearing the iqamah could be the fear of missing the opening takbir (takbir tahrimah) or a rak‘ah. The reason for running before the iqamah could also be to catch the entire prayer and not miss any part of it. In both cases, the wisdom behind the prohibition of running is understood from the additional words of this hadith as narrated by Muslim from Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu through «العَلَاءُ عَنْ أَبِيْهِ», as after narrating the hadith mentioned in this chapter, he narrated at the end: «فَإِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ إِذَا كَانَ يَعْمِدُ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَهُوَ فِي صَلَاةٍ» [مسلم: 602/152] “Because when any one of you is going for prayer with the intention of prayer, he is already in prayer.” That is, he is considered as being in the state of prayer, so he should observe calmness and dignity just as a person in prayer does, and avoid those things which a person in prayer avoids. This wisdom is stated even more explicitly in the hadith which Abu Dawud narrated from «عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ عَنْ رَجُلٍ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ» in a marfu‘ form, that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: «إِذَا تَوَضَّأَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَأَحْسَنَ الْوُضُوْءَ، ثُمَّ خَرَجَ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ لَمْ يَرْفَعْ قَدَمَهُ الْيُمْنَى إِلَّا كَتَبَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَهُ حَسَنَةٌ، وَلَمْ يَضَعْ قَدَمَهُ الْيُسْرَى إِلَّا حَطَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَنْهُ سَيِّئَةٌ فَلْيُقَرِّبْ أَحَدُكُمْ أَوْ لِيُبَعدْ فَإِنْ أَتَى الْمَسْجِدَ فَصَلَّى فِي جَمَاعَةٍ غُفِرَ لَهُ، فَإِنْ أَتَى المَسْجِدَ وَقَدْ صَلَّوْا بَعْضًا وَبَقِيَ بَعْضُ صَلَّى مَا أَدْرَكَ وَأَتَمَّ مَا بَقِيَ كَانَ كَذَلِكَ، فَإِنْ أَتَى الْمَسْجِدَ وَقَدْ صَلَّوْا فَأَتَمَّ الصَّلَاةَ كَانَ كَذَلِكَ» [أبو داود: 563، وقال الألباني: صحيح] “When any one of you performs ablution (wudu) and performs it well, then leaves for prayer, he does not lift his right foot except that Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, writes for him a good deed, nor does he place his left foot except that Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, erases from him a bad deed. So let each of you take short or long steps as he wishes. Then if he comes to the mosque and prays with the congregation, he is forgiven. And if he comes to the mosque and the people have already prayed some of the prayer and some remains, then he should pray whatever he catches and complete what remains, and it is the same for him. And if he comes to the mosque and the people have finished the prayer, then he completes the prayer (alone), and it is the same for him.” From this narration of Abu Dawud, it is also understood that whether a person who comes prepared from home, i.e., after performing ablution well, catches some of the prayer or none at all, he will still receive the full reward (forgiveness). So what is the benefit of coming running?

➌ «وَمَا فَاتَكُمْ فَأَتِمُّوا» (And complete what you missed): From these words, the majority have deduced that whoever joins the imam in the second, third, or fourth rak‘ah, his first rak‘ah will be the one in which he joined the imam, because to complete something means to bring it to its end. For example, if someone joins the imam in the last rak‘ah, after the imam says salam, he will pray one rak‘ah and sit for tashahhud, and accordingly complete the rest of the prayer. Some scholars say that the rak‘ah or rak‘ahs which the latecomer (masbuq) prays with the imam are his last rak‘ahs, and after the imam says salam, the rak‘ah he stands up to pray will be his first rak‘ah, and accordingly, he will recite tashahhud after every two rak‘ahs. These scholars say that in some narrations of this hadith, the words «وَمَا فَاتَكُمْ فَاقْضُوا» are found, which according to them means: “Make up what you missed.” And qada’ (making up) is done in the same manner as ada’ (performance), so the rak‘ah he stands up to pray will be his first rak‘ah. However, interpreting «فَاقْضُوا» in this way would make the narrations of a single hadith contradictory to each other. Therefore, the reality is that in those narrations of this hadith where «فَاقْضُوا» is mentioned, their meaning is also «فأتموا», because the meaning of «قَضَى يَقْضِي» as completion, i.e., to complete, is also well-known, as it is said: «فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ الصَّلوةُ فَانْتَشِرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ» [الجمعة: 10] “Then when the prayer is finished, disperse in the land,” and it is said: «فَقَضْهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَموتٍ فِي يَوْمَيْنِ» [حم السجدة: 12] “So He completed them as seven heavens in two days.” So when both words have come from the same Companion, their meaning should be taken as the same.

➍ It is also understood from this hadith that when the congregational prayer for a fard (obligatory) prayer has begun, it is prohibited to pray separate nawafil (supererogatory prayers), because the command is: «مَا أَدْرَكْتُمْ فَصَلُّوْا» “Pray whatever you catch.” It is not that you should continue praying sunnah or nawafil. In one hadith, this command is stated in explicit words: «إِذَا أُقِيِّمَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَلَا صَلَاةَ إِلَّا الْمَكْتُوبَةَ» [مسلم: 710] “When the iqamah for prayer is given, there is no prayer except the obligatory prayer.” Besides this, it is also understood that one should join the imam in whatever position he is in—if he is standing, then in standing; if he is in bowing (ruku‘), then in bowing. [وَ عَلَى هَذَا الْقِيَاسِ]

572. Commentary:
➊ The inference from the word «فاتموا» "complete" is that for the one who did not get the full congregation («مسبوق»), wherever he starts his prayer, that is considered its beginning for him. And the prayer after the congregation is its end. Imam Abu Dawud has provided arguments that most narrators mention the word «فاتموا», but some individuals say that the meaning of «فاقضوا» "make up" is that what the latecomer (masbuq) prays with the imam is the last part of his prayer, just as it is for the imam. Therefore, upon standing up, he should intend to make up the missed part of the prayer. However, this wording is rare, as will be clarified ahead by Shaykh al-Albani. Therefore, the preferred opinion is that wherever he starts, that will be his beginning, and in the word «فاقضوا», "qada" is not always used for something missed, but also comes in the meaning of "to perform" or "to complete." For example, «فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُمُ الصَّلَاةَ» "when the prayer is completed," and «فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُم مَّنَاسِكَكُمْ» "when you have completed your rites of Hajj." In this way, there remains no contradiction between «فاتموا» and «فاقضوا». [عون المعبود]

➋ The apparent command in the noble verse of Surah Jumu'ah is to hasten towards the remembrance of Allah. «يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَاةِ مِن يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ» And in the aforementioned hadith, running (sa‘y) is prohibited. The solution to this apparent contradiction is that, in reality, the command in the noble verse is to leave worldly occupations, heedlessness, laziness, and sluggishness, and to hasten for Jumu'ah. That is, in the verse, the meaning of "sa‘y" (running) is to immediately leave worldly engagements and reach the mosque. And in the hadith, the etiquette of coming to the mosque is explained: instead of running, come with a dignified walk.

862. Commentary:

➊ Running towards the prayer is contrary to seriousness, it is disrespectful, and it goes against the sanctity of the mosque. Appearing before the Lord of all worlds is not a trivial matter. It requires complete calm and dignity. Even in ordinary matters, haste is inappropriate. Haste has been attributed to Satan because it generally results in loss of life and property. Loss of honor is, of course, also included.

➋ There is a difference of opinion regarding the prayer that one joins with the imam: is it considered the beginning of the prayer or does it follow the imam’s sequence? That is, which rak‘ahs (units of prayer) will be counted for the follower? If they are counted as the first rak‘ahs, then the remaining rak‘ahs will be performed like the last rak‘ahs. But if they are counted according to the imam’s sequence, then the remaining rak‘ahs will be performed like the initial rak‘ahs. The Shafi‘is hold the first view, and the Hanafis hold the second. There are evidences on both sides. The last words of this hadith «فَاقْضُوا» support Imam Shafi‘i rahimahullah, and this is the preferred view. And Allah knows best. Furthermore, in most narrations, the words «فأتِمُّوا» are mentioned, whose clear meaning is that wherever the follower begins, that will be the start of his prayer. Whatever has been missed, he will complete it afterwards. Therefore, the words «فَاقْضُوا» transmitted in some ahadith will also mean the same: that whatever part of the prayer has been missed, it should be performed later. And Allah knows best. For further details, see: [ذخیرة العقبٰی ، شرح سنن النسائي : 10؍355]

Commentary:

➊ Congregational prayer (salah in jama‘ah) is a deed of great reward, and striving to attain it is commendable. However, the correct method for this purpose is to leave home on time. Delaying departure from home and then running to catch the prayer is not correct.

➋ Walking with calmness does not mean that a person should walk so slowly as if he has no concern for congregational prayer. The objective is to present oneself in the court of Allah with dignity.

➌ The wisdom in the prohibition of running to catch the congregation may be that one’s breath should not become labored before joining the prayer, because in such a state, the prayer cannot be performed with humility, submissiveness, and attentiveness. And Allah knows best.

➍ Whoever joins the congregational prayer after the imam has already performed one or more rak‘ahs, it is necessary for him not to end the prayer with the imam’s salam, but rather to complete his prayer and then say salam. The scholars have differed on the issue of whether the rak‘ahs performed after the imam’s salam are considered the last rak‘ahs of the follower or the first. From the wording mentioned in this hadith, it can be understood that the rak‘ahs performed with the imam are the initial rak‘ahs of the follower. In Sahih al-Bukhari as well (Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Adhan, Chapter: “Do not run to the prayer, but come to it with calmness and dignity,” Hadith: 636), and in Sahih Muslim, most narrations are also of this kind. However, in one narration, the wording is: (wa-qdi ma sabaqaka) (Sahih Muslim, al-Masajid, Chapter: “The recommendation of coming to the prayer with dignity and calmness,” Hadith: 602). From this, it has been deduced that the rak‘ahs performed later are in reality the first rak‘ahs, i.e., they are the making up (qada’) of the missed rak‘ahs.

Allamah Muhammad Fu’ad ‘Abd al-Baqi rahimahullah has stated in the commentary of this hadith: Here, qada’ only means the act (performing a deed); it does not mean qada’ in the technical sense used by the jurists (fuqaha’), as in the noble verse: (fa-qadahunna sab‘a samawat) (Ha Mim al-Sajdah: 12) (Allah Ta‘ala made them seven heavens), and in this verse: (fa-idha qadaytum manasikakum) (al-Baqarah: 200) (When you have completed your rites of Hajj...), and in this verse: (fa-idha qudiyat al-salah) (al-Jumu‘ah: 10) (When the prayer is finished...), and as it is said: qadaytu haqq fulan (I have fulfilled so-and-so’s right). In all these instances, qada’ means to do an act and to complete it.

In the famous commentary of the hadith collection Bulugh al-Maram, Sabil al-Salam, Imam Amir al-San‘ani rahimahullah has stated: There is a difference of opinion among the scholars regarding whether the prayer performed by the latecomer with the imam is considered his first rak‘ahs or his last. The correct view is that they are his first rak‘ahs. And Allah knows best.

Takhrij:
«أخرجه البخاري، الأذان، باب لا يسعي إلي الصلاة....، حديث:636، ومسلم، المساجد، باب استحباب إتيان الصلاة بوقار سكينة، حديث:602.»©

Explanation:
According to this hadith, when a person comes to the mosque for congregational prayer, he should come with great calmness, tranquility, dignity, and respect.
He should not come running.
While walking, he should keep his gaze lowered.
If there is a need to speak, he should speak in a soft and low voice.
After coming in this state of composure, he should join the prayer in whatever position he finds the imam, and complete the remainder of his prayer afterwards by standing up.
In such a case, are the units (rak‘ahs) that the follower (muqtadi) prayed with the imam considered his first units or his last? There is a difference of opinion among the imams regarding this.
According to Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah, these are considered the follower’s last units, whereas Imam Shafi‘i rahimahullah says that these are considered his first units.
This latter view is also in accordance with the words of the hadith “fa-atimmu” (then complete [what you missed]); furthermore, there is also a difference of opinion regarding whether the unit in which one joins the prayer during bowing (ruku‘) will be counted or not. The most cautious and correct opinion is that it will not be counted, because in the case of joining during ruku‘, the recitation of Surah al-Fatihah and the standing (qiyam) are not performed, and both of these are pillars (arkan) of the prayer.
How can the prayer be valid in their absence?

Benefit:
It is not correct to run towards the mosque; rather, one should come with calmness. Some people are excessively strict with students regarding prayer, but it is not correct for students to run out of fear of such strictness. Moreover, due to fear of this strictness, some even perform prayer without ablution (wudu), which is a major sin. The sin of this not only falls upon the students, but also upon the administration that makes such incorrect rules and the teachers who impose unlawful strictness. The principles of training should be in accordance with the Qur’an and Hadith.