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Fiqh-us-Sunnah - 2.54
Hadith 2.54.1
An imam may change his place and become a follower
If the regular imam or appointed imam is not present, it is permissible to appoint someone else to perform the duty of imam. If the regular imam appears during the prayers, the substitute imam may move back to the rows and allow the regular imam to take over. Al-Bukhari and Muslim record that Sahl ibn Sa'd said: "The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alehi wasallam went off to take care of the affairs of the tribe of 'Amr ibn 'Auf. The time for salah came and the mu'adhdhin went to Abu Bakr and said: 'Will you lead the people in salah and I shall make the iqamah?' Abu Bakr agreed. [While he was] leading the prayer, the Messenger of Allah appeared and joined the rows. The people clapped [their thighs with their hands] but Abu Bakr would not turn around during the prayer.
When most of the people began clapping, he turned and saw the Prophet...[who] pointed to Abu Bakr to stay in his place. Abu Bakr raised his hands and praised Allah because of what the Prophet had told him. Then, Abu Bakr moved back until he joined the rows and the Prophet stepped forward [to lead]. After he had prayed, he went to Abu Bakr and said: O Abu Bakr, what prevented you from staying there when I told you to do so?' Abu Bakr said: 'It is not fit for the son of Abu Quhafah to lead the Prophet in prayer.' Then the Messenger of Allah said: 'Why did I see most of you clapping? If you find something in the prayer you should say subhanallah, for when you say it, it will attract his (i.e. imam's) attention and clapping [thighs with hands] is for the women.'"
Hadith 2.54.A
Catching up with the imam or the congregation
Whoever joins a congregation, he should perform the opening takbir while standing and then move directly to the act that the congregation may be performing, for instance, if the congregation is prostrating one should perform the opening takbir and then join it in the prostration. However, such a person is not considered as having performed the rak'ah unless he performs the ruku' (bowing), even if he just bows and puts his hands on his knees, when the imam is finishing his ruku'.
Abu Hurairah reports that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "If you come to the salah and we are in sajdah, then make sajdah with us but do not count it [as a rak'ah]. And whoever 'catches' the ruku', he catches the salah." This is related by Abu Dawud, Ibn Khuzaimah in his Sahih, and by al-Hakim, who considers it sahih, in his Al-Mustadrak.
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