Late joiner to prayer (lahiq), fiqh rulings

For the Hanafis, a lahiq is one who missed all or some of the rak'at after joining the prayer with an excuse, such as heedlessness, crowding or a breach, or without excuse, as when he got ahead of the imam in bowing or prostration; others define him as one who caught the beginning of the prayer and missed its end through sleep or a breach ¹.

For the Hanafis a masbuq is one the imam has preceded in all or some rak'at; the masbuq misses the beginning and the lahiq misses the end or middle. One who joined in the second rak'a and then missed part through sleep is both a lahiq and a masbuq ². A mudrik is one who prayed the whole with the imam and lost no rak'a ².

The lahiq covers cases with an excuse, such as sleep that does not break ablution, crowding at Friday prayer that keeps one from the first rak'a, a breach that takes one out of the row, or the first group in the fear prayer; and cases without excuse, such as getting ahead of the imam in bowing or prostration, after which one makes up a rak'a, since bowing and prostrating before the imam are void ^{2 3}.

The Hanafis treat the lahiq as one praying behind the imam: he prays in the order of the imam's prayer, makes up what he missed through excuse without recitation, does not prostrate for forgetfulness, and then follows the imam if he has not finished. The masbuq does the reverse: he follows, then makes up with recitation and prostrates for forgetfulness ³. The order is obligatory, not a pillar, against Zufar; breaking it is disliked but does not void the prayer ³.

The Malikis hold that a follower crowded out of bowing, or one who dozed lightly, follows the imam in what he is doing and makes up what he missed; if the lag is by one pillar with an excuse, the prayer stands; if by two long pillars without excuse, it is void, and if the excuse concerns recitation of the opening, he completes his own prayer ^{4 5}. The Hanbalis hold that if the imam is ahead by a full pillar through an excuse, the follower does what he missed and joins the imam with nothing owed; if he is behind by a full rak'a he follows the imam and makes up the rak'a like a masbuq ^{5 6}.

The Hanafis hold that if a woman of desire stands in line with a follower in a common prayer, in one opening and performance and in one place with no screen, the prayer is void, and the mudrik and the lahiq are alike in this; the masbuq, who makes up in his own person, is not affected ⁶.

The Hanafis hold that if the imam makes ablution after one rak'a and appoints a man who slept through it, or went to make ablution, this is allowed, but the imam should not appoint him; the substitute should make up what he missed first ^{6 7}.