Sunan Ibn Majah 1256
سنن ابن ماجه#1256Sahihحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ أَبِي عِمْرَانَ الْجَوْنِيِّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ، عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ " صَلِّ الصَّلاَةَ لِوَقْتِهَا. فَإِنْ أَدْرَكْتَ الإِمَامَ يُصَلِّي بِهِمْ فَصَلِّ مَعَهُمْ، وَقَدْ أَحْرَزْتَ صَلاَتَكَ. وَإِلاَّ فَهِيَ نَافِلَةٌ لَكَ " .
It was narrated from Abu Dharr that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:“Offer prayer on time, and if you reached the Imam leading them in prayers (on time), then perform it with them, and you will be safe with your prayer, otherwise it will be voluntary for you.”
Scholarly Authentication
The label above is the grade most of these scholars gave — one dissenting opinion no longer speaks for all of them. If any scholar calls a narration fabricated, that verdict is shown instead, whatever the others say. Each scholar's own wording:
In-book reference: 5:454