During the prayer, the Imaam recited a verse of prostration and then bowed while a group of people prostrated before him. Some of them corrected his mistake so he joined the Imaam. However, some of them continued to prostrate until the Imaam finished bowing and then they completed offering the prayer. What is the ruling concerning these two groups?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

The prayer of those who corrected their mistake and joined the Imaam is valid as their mistake was because of an acceptable excuse. As for those who continued to prostrate until the Imaam finished bowing and then they completed offering the prayer with him, they are of two types: the first one is of those who corrected their mistake and bowed after their prostration and then they followed the Imaam and their prayer is valid. The second type is those who did not bow after the prostration of the recitation. They have to make up the Rak‘ah as long as they are still offering the prayer or if they have finished it. However, in case of a long separation, they must re-offer the entire prayer even if the due time ended because bowing is one of the pillars of the prayer which neither forgetfulness nor ignorance justifies abandoning nor does the Imaam act on behalf of him regarding it.

Allaah Knows best.