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What is the ruling regarding the first Tashahhud for someone who joins the prayer late, specifically if he catches the Imam in the second Rak'ah of Dhuhr prayer? Is it obligatory, and what should he do if he remains silent during it? Does he perform the prostration of forgetfulness (sujud al-sahw) if it is omitted from him? And what is the ruling on the prayer of a congregant who precedes his Imam in moving from the second prostration to standing, due to the Imam's slowness in saying the Takbir?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If the worshiper joins the Imam in the second rak'ah, he must sit for the tashahhud in the place of the Imam's tashahhud. His own tashahhud in his second rak'ah, which is the Imam's third, is waived because the Imam bears it for him. It is recommended for the worshiper to recite the words of the tashahhud, and to repeat it in the place of the Imam's final tashahhud as a recommendation. If the Imam says the salām before the worshiper completes it, the worshiper should stand to make up what he missed and not complete the tashahhud.

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

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