Muqtadi

A muqtadi (follower) is one who is praying in a congregational prayer behind the Imam. They can be of three kinds, depending on the stage when they join the congregation:

1. Mudrak

2. Masbuq

3. Lahiq

Mudrak is the follower who joins the congregation from the very beginning and remains with the Imam throughout the prayer till the end.

Masbuq is the follower that joins the congregation after one or more rak'ah have been performed.

Lahiq is the follower who joins the congregation from the beginning, but then loses one or more rak'ah.

Regulations Concerning Muqtadi

• In order to make his prayer valid, the follower has to begin with intention that he is going to offer his prayer under the leadership of the Imam.

• The follower has to stand behind the Imam or in case of a single follower has to stand beside the Imam on his right.

• Follower has to follow and obey the Imam in all articles, both fard and wajib of the prayer. In case of sunnah parts, however it is not necessary to follow him strictly.

• It is undesirable for the follower to stand in the second or subsequent row if there is room for him in a front row. If there is no room in a front row, he should not stand alone, but should pull back a follower from the front row about whom he is sure will easily come back without minding.

Regulations Concerning Masbuq

• The masbuq after joining the congregation has to perform the remaining prayer with the Imam. After the Imam has pronounced salutation and brought the prayer to an end, the masbuq should stand up and complete his missed rak'ahs independently in the following ways:
  
  1.) He should complete those rak'ahs in which recitation of the additional passages is necessary and then those in which it is not necessary.
  
  2.) He should sit in qa'dah keeping in mind the rak'ah(s) that he has performed with the Imam. Example:
  
  A person who joins the prayer in Zuhr after three rak'ahs have been performed should stand up after observing one (the fourth) rak'ah behind the Imam and then complete the remaining three rak'ahs independently as follows:
  a) He should start with Al-Fatiha, recite an additional passage and sit in the first qa'dah after sajdah to complete two rak'ahs.
  b) He should stand up after reciting tashahhud in the usual manner and begin his third rak'ah with Al-Fatiha which is to be followed by an additional passage, but should not sit in the qa'dah.
  c) In the last rak'ah, he should only recite Al-Fatiha and sit in the final qa'dah and complete his prayers.

Regulations Concerning Lahiq

• Lahiq should first complete those rak'ahs which he has missed like a follower, quietly (that is without recitation) and without sajdah sahv (in case of a mistake). After completing the missed rak'ahs he should join the congregation and complete the remaining prayer with the Imam. If the Imam has meantime completed the prayer the lahiq should complete his prayer independently.