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What should one do if they are late for Fajr prayer and find that the congregation has finished; should they pray individually, and will they receive the reward for praying in congregation?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If a Muslim arrives at the mosque and finds that the Imam has already concluded the prayer, he should wait a little while, hoping to find another congregational prayer. Otherwise, he should pray individually. He will receive the reward for congregational prayer if he was not negligent, for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Whoever performs ablution well, then goes out intending to go to the mosque, and finds that the people have already prayed, Allah will write for him a reward similar to that of those who attended it, without diminishing anything from their rewards." His steps to the mosque will also be recorded, for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Whoever purifies himself in his house, then walks to one of the houses of Allah to fulfill one of the obligations of Allah, one of his steps will erase a sin and the other will raise his rank." It is essential to be diligent in praying in the mosque with the regular Imam.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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