Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi
Question
During silent prayers, if I start late for any reason, I can’t tell if the imam finished his Thana or not. Should I recite it anyway?
Answer
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
Yes, it is sunna for the latecomer to recite the opening glorifications (thana’) when joining the congregation where the recitation of the Quran by the leader of the prayer is silent even if the latecomer thinks that the leader of the prayer is already reciting the Quran. This is the fatwa position in the Hanafi school. [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]
The Reason for This Ruling
Reciting the opening glorifications is a sunna on its own for both the leader of the prayer and the follower. The recitation of the opening glorifications by the leader of the prayer does not replace its recitation by the follower. Both of them have to recite it to fulfill the sunna.
As for the recitation of the Quran in the prayer its recitation by the leader of the prayer is deemed to be a recitation for the follower also who should not recite the Quran in the prayer but rather listen to the recitation of the leader of the prayer and remain silent.
Allah, Most High, has said: “When the Quran is recited, listen to it and be silent, so that you may be blessed.” [Quran, 7:204]
This silent listening for the follower should happen in a prayer where the leader of the prayer is reciting out loud and when he is reciting silently. “Listening” to the recitation of the Quran in a silent prayer is not obligatory but it is sunna. But it is not a sunna of the prayer in and of itself, contrary to the recitation of the opening glorifications. Rather it is a sunna because of a secondary consideration, namely showing veneration to the Quran.
Thus, in light of the above, it is more important for the follower to fulfill a sunna in and of itself, namely reciting the opening glorifications and to leave an action that has been deemed sunna because of secondary considerations, namely remaining silent during the recitation of the Imam, rather than do the opposite.
This is why it is the fatwa position in the Hanafi school. [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]
As for a prayer where the recitation of the Imam is out loud then the latecomer should recite the opening glorifications when joining the prayer because Allah, Most High, has said: “When the Qur’ān is recited, listen to it and be silent, so that you may be blessed.” [Quran, 7:204]
And Allah knows best.
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching far and wide for answers to the fundamental questions of life and was disappointed at the answers he found.
Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.
He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others.
He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.