Prayer: Joining in the Second Rakʿah
Practical Laws of Islam as per the teachings of Ayatullah Sistani
Ruling 1419
If a person joins in the second rakʿah, it is not necessary that he recite Sūrat al-Ḥamd and the other surah; however, it is recommended that he say qunūt and tashahhud with the imam. And the obligatory precaution is that when he says tashahhud he must sit in a squatted position, such that his fingers and the balls of his feet are on the ground and his knees are off the ground; and after tashahhud, he must stand up with the imam and recite Sūrat al-Ḥamd and the other surah. If he does not have enough time to recite the other surah, he must complete Sūrat al-Ḥamd and perform his rukūʿ with the imam. And if he does not have enough time to recite all of Sūrat al-Ḥamd, he can discontinue reciting it and perform rukūʿ with the imam. However, the recommended precaution in this situation is that he should complete his prayer with the intention of performing it on his own.