another" (1). And because they have caught one rak'ah, it is valid for them as a Friday prayer, like those who are masbuq (those who join the prayer late) by one rak'ah. And because the number is a condition specific to the Friday prayer, it does not lapse with its absence in one rak'ah, just as if the time for the Asr prayer had arrived while they had already prayed one rak'ah. Abu Hanifah said: If they disperse after he has prayed one rak'ah with one prostration, he completes it as a Friday prayer because they have caught most of the rak'ah, so it is similar to if they had caught it with both its prostrations. Ishaq said: If twelve men remain with him, he completes it as a Friday prayer, because the companions of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—dispersed from him, and no more than twelve men remained with him (2), yet he completed it as a Friday prayer (3). Al-Shafi'i said, in one of his opinions: If two remain with him, he completes it as a Friday prayer. This is the view of al-Thawri, because they (4) are the minimum of a group. Abu Thawr related from him: If one remains with him, he completes it as a Friday prayer, because two people constitute a congregation. Our evidence is that they did not catch a complete rak'ah with the conditions of the Friday prayer, so it is like if they had all dispersed before the bowing (ruku') in the first rak'ah. Their argument that "he caught most of the rak'ah" is invalidated by one who missed only the two prostrations of the rak'ah, for he has indeed (5) caught most of it. And al-Shafi'i's argument: "Whoever remains with him is someone by whom a congregation is formed," we reply (5): This is not correct, because this is not sufficient at the beginning, so it is not sufficient for the continuity. Once this is established, in every instance where we have said he does not complete it as a Friday prayer, the analogy of al-Khiraqi’s view is that it becomes void, and he resumes it as a Zhuhr prayer, unless it is possible for them to perform the Friday prayer another time, in which case they repeat it. Abu Bakr said: I know of no disagreement from Ahmad that if the number is not fulfilled during the prayer and the sermon, they must repeat the prayer. The analogy of Abu Ishaq ibn Shaqla's view is that they complete it as a Zhuhr prayer. This is the view of al-Qadi, who said: Ahmad has indeed provided a text regarding someone who was crowded out from the actions of the Friday prayer until the Imam delivered the salutation; he completes it as a Zhuhr prayer. The arguments for both opinions have been previously mentioned (6).