Source: Fatāwā Arkān al-Islām
If a person misses one or two rakʿahs of the congregational prayer, then after the imam completes the prayer, should he recite only Sūrah al-Fātiḥah in the remaining rakʿahs, or Sūrah al-Fātiḥah along with another sūrah?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
The Sharʿī principle in this matter is:
The rakʿahs which the follower performs after the imam’s salām are considered the final part of his own prayer, not the beginning.
If the follower misses one or two rakʿahs:
◈ Those rakʿahs will be counted as the final part of his prayer.
◈ He will recite only Sūrah al-Fātiḥah in them.
◈ No additional sūrah will be added.
If one rakʿah is missed:
◈ It will be considered the final rakʿah.
◈ Therefore, only Sūrah al-Fātiḥah will be recited.
If one rakʿah is missed:
◈ Since both rakʿahs of Fajr are recited aloud and with full recitation,
◈ It is sunnah and recommended to recite Sūrah al-Fātiḥah plus another sūrah in the remaining rakʿah.
Principle:
The rakʿahs performed after the imam’s salām are the last part of the follower’s prayer, so he should recite in them what is normally recited in the last rakʿahs.
ھذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
Question:
If a person misses one or two rakʿahs of the congregational prayer, then after the imam completes the prayer, should he recite only Sūrah al-Fātiḥah in the remaining rakʿahs, or Sūrah al-Fātiḥah along with another sūrah?
Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
The Sharʿī principle in this matter is:
The rakʿahs which the follower performs after the imam’s salām are considered the final part of his own prayer, not the beginning.
For four-rakʿah prayers (Ẓuhr, ʿAṣr, ʿIshāʾ):
If the follower misses one or two rakʿahs:
◈ Those rakʿahs will be counted as the final part of his prayer.
◈ He will recite only Sūrah al-Fātiḥah in them.
◈ No additional sūrah will be added.
For Maghrib:
If one rakʿah is missed:
◈ It will be considered the final rakʿah.
◈ Therefore, only Sūrah al-Fātiḥah will be recited.
For Fajr:
If one rakʿah is missed:
◈ Since both rakʿahs of Fajr are recited aloud and with full recitation,
◈ It is sunnah and recommended to recite Sūrah al-Fātiḥah plus another sūrah in the remaining rakʿah.
Summary Table:
| Prayer Type | Missed Rakʿahs After Imam’s Salām | What to Recite? |
|---|---|---|
| Ẓuhr / ʿAṣr / ʿIshāʾ | 1 or 2 | Only Sūrah al-Fātiḥah |
| Maghrib | 1 | Only Sūrah al-Fātiḥah |
| Fajr | 1 | Sūrah al-Fātiḥah + another sūrah |
Principle:
The rakʿahs performed after the imam’s salām are the last part of the follower’s prayer, so he should recite in them what is normally recited in the last rakʿahs.
ھذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
