Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
I wanted to ask if someone arrives late (due to some valid reasons) for Friday prayer and misses the first rakah. He joins the congregation during second rakah, and completes after Imam makes salaam. Is his Friday prayer valid or does he have to repeate the prayer, since he missed khutbah and first rakah. Also, if it has to be repeated, would it be Friday or Zhur?
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
I pray that this finds you well, and in the best of health and spirits. May Allah grant you all good and success in this life and the next.
One is considered to have caught the Friday prayer–like any other prayer–if one joins the congregation before the imam’s first closing salam.
However, it is sinful to delay getting to the Friday sermon (khutba) without an overwhelming excuse, because listening to the sermon is necessary (wajib).
[Shurunbulali, Imdad al-Fattah; Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]
And Allah alone gives success.
Faraz Rabbani