Muwatta Malik 297
موطأ مالك#297SahihThese are the words of a Successor — the generation after the Companions — not of the Prophet ﷺ.
وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، سَأَلَ سَعِيدَ بْنَ الْمُسَيَّبِ فَقَالَ إِنِّي أُصَلِّي فِي بَيْتِي ثُمَّ آتِي الْمَسْجِدَ فَأَجِدُ الإِمَامَ يُصَلِّي أَفَأُصَلِّي مَعَهُ فَقَالَ سَعِيدٌ نَعَمْ . فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ فَأَيُّهُمَا صَلاَتِي فَقَالَ سَعِيدٌ أَوَأَنْتَ تَجْعَلُهُمَا إِنَّمَا ذَلِكَ إِلَى اللَّهِ .
Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that a man asked Said ibn al-Musayyab, "I pray in my house, and then I come to the mosque and find the imam praying. Should I pray with him?" Said said, "Yes," and the man said, "Which of them is my prayer?" Said said, "Are you the one to decide that? That is up to Allah
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: 8:11