Q: I want to know what should be done if you miss 1, 2 or 3 rakaats of a fardh Salaah?
A: The masbuq should offer his missed rakaats in the following order: he should first offer those rakaats in which there is qira'at and then those which have no qira'at. As for the rakaats which he has offered with the imam, he should sit for them accordingly. That is, after counting the rakaats, he should make his first qa'dah after the one that is second. He should make his last qa'dah after his third rakaat if the salaat is a three rakaat salaat (such as maghrib). Examples: a person joined the jama'at for zuhr salaat when three rakaats had already been completed. When the imam makes salaam at the end of the salaat, this person should stand up and offer the three rakaats which he missed in the following manner: in the first rakaat he should recite Surah Faatihah, another Surah, make his ruku and sajdahs and then sit down for his first qa'dah. He has to sit down because this rakaat is regarded as his second rakaat after combining it with the rakaat that he had offered with the imam. Thereafter, he should offer his second rakaat and recite Surah Faatihah and another Surah in it as well. After this second rakaat he should not sit down because this rakaat is regarded as his third rakaat after joining it to the previous two. Thereafter, he should offer his third rakaat without reciting another Surah after having recited Surah Faatihah because this rakaat was not a rakaat of qiraat. After this rakaat, he should sit down because this is his last qa'dah.
And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
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