Can A Masbooq become an Imaam?

 

Question:  A man entered the mosque after the Imaam and the worshippers have terminated the prayer, but he found a masbooq (latecomer or one who joins congregational prayer late) completing his prayer. So, he stood by his side so as to make the masbooq his Imaam in order to attain the reward of congregational prayer. Is this permissible for him or a masbooq cannot be an Imaam? Is the Salaah that this man offered along with the masbooq valid?

Response: If a person enters the mosque and the people have prayed, and he finds a masbooq praying; it is legislated for him to pray along with him, and he should stand by the right side of the masbooq for the sake of the virtue of congregational prayer; and the masbooq should intend to be the Imaam. There is no harm in this according to the most authoritative view among the scholars.

Similarly, if he finds a person praying alone after the Imaam had terminated the prayer, it is legislated for him to pray along with him, and he should stand by his right side in order to attain the merit of congregational prayer. Then if the masbooq terminates his prayer or the individual praying alone, the one who entered and joined the prayer should get up and complete what is upon him, due to the generality of proofs indicating the merit of congregational prayer, and due to what has been established from the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) that he saw a man who entered the mosque after the prayer has ended and said: “Is there any man who may do good with this (man) and pray along with him.” Recorded by Ahmad and Abu Daawood

Source: Majmoo’ Fataawaa wa Maqaalaat ash-Shaykh Ibn Baaz (12/148). Transl. by Abdus-Samee Abdus-Salaam.