All praise is due to Allaah. May He shower His blessings and mercy on the noble soul of the Prophet, his household, companions and on the generality of the Muslims.
As to what follows,
We shall be discussing the rulings on combining Salaah for the one who misses some part looking at different case scenarios.
If a latecomer catches up with - after the completion of his first salaah - a part from the combined salaah with the Imām, it is allowed for him to complete the jam'u [combination of the salaah].
This is based on the general saying of the Proophet [salaLlahu 'alayhi was sallam]
"Pray whatever you meet (with the people) and complete the rest which you have missed"
[Saheehul Al Bukhaaree 636 and Muslim 602,from Abū Hurayrah].
If, however, he does not meet anything from the combined salaah, he is not allowed to combine the salaah, because the previous evidence could not cover for it [that is: cannot be used as evidence in this case].
Here are Four scenarios of what Preceded.
The First (scenario):
The person that arrives at the middle of Az-Zuhr -during the combination of the Zuhr and 'Asr-he should complete his Salaah, then join the (ongoing) 'Asr.
The similitude of this, is the person that arrives at the middle of Salaatul Maghrib, during the combination of Maghrib and 'Ishaa'.
The Second (scenario);
The person that arrives at the completion of Zuhr, he will join Salaatul 'Asr with the people, (but) with the intention of (praying) Zhur. In as much as he could not meet anything from the first salaah, he had missed the Jam'u (the combination of salaah).
The Third (scenario):
The person that arrives at the beginning of the combined Salaah-that is 'Ishaa'- and has not observed maghrib, what should he do?
Our Shaykh Al Albaanee- may Allaah have mercy on him said:
The person will follow the Imām that is offering 'Ishaa while he (the latecomer) will intend (salaatul) maghrib. But, when the Imām stands for the fourth raka'ah, this ma'mūm will intend that he wants to leave the Imām (as he has completed the number of rak'ah for the prayer he intended from the beginning), then he will sit ,say tashshahud and solitarily ends his salaah.
[Shaykh Saalih Al 'Uthaymeen is also of this opinion on this issue. The Shaykh gives detailed explanation with evidence in Sharhu Al Mumti', whosoever wishes should check it (Reviewer's note)].
As for the person - in this scenario - he will stand after the completion of the first salaah, and join the Imām in the remaining part of the combined 'Ishaa, then he will complete what he missed.
The Fourth (scenario):
The person who arrives after the completion of the first raka'ah -and above- from the 'Ishaa -which was combined- He is not allowed to combined the salaah,because he does not meet anything except what he can use to offer the first salaah (that is Maghrib). And on the combined salāh,he did not meet anything from it.
The next issue - Allaah willing - is Combining the two Salah in places other than the Masjid.
We beseech Allaah to forgive us and our parents. And elongate our lifes on the creed and methodology of the people of Athar. Aameen.
