Completing the salah after the Imam

If a person joins the congregation after the imam has already completed one rak’ah or more, how should he complete his salah after the imam says salam?

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما

In principle, a person who missed a rak’ah or more with the imam is known as a masbooq and would complete their salah individually after the imam says salaam. In terms of recitation, they should recite the recitation of the rak’ah they missed (e.g if one missed the first rak’ah with the imam, after salaam they would get up and recite whatever they would recite in the first rak’ah such as thanaa, bismillah, Fatiha, etc.). 

In terms of when to sit in tashahud or not, they should consider how many rak’ahs they prayed total thus far and act accordingly. For example, if one missed two rak’ahs of Maghrib, they would recite the recitation of the first rak’ah, but would sit in tashahud because it is currently their second rak’ah (and one is supposed to sit in tashahud in the second and final rak’ah of every prayer).  

والله اعلم

Allah Knows best.

Approved by: Mufti Husain Ahmad Madani