In our country, the mosque imam is prohibited from establishing a second congregation, and he said that the hadith (whoever gives charity for this person) is weak. What is the validity of his action?

The questioner:
We have in our country, it seems from outside the Kingdom, he says: In our country, when people enter the mosque after the imam has finished the prayer, they either pray individually or return to their homes and do not pray. I asked the mosque imam about that, and he mentioned that it is not permissible to establish another or a second congregation after the first congregation. I mentioned to him a hadith I had cited from my days of study, which is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to the one who was late: "Whoever gives charity for this person?" He told me that the hadith is weak, and that it is better for a latecomer not to pray his prayer in the mosque, but rather in his house. What is required is the following: What is the correct statement in this issue? What is the validity of the reported hadith? And what is the ruling on consistently persisting in such a practice? May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh:
This imam has made a great error. In his statement that the congregation is not prayed in the mosque for those who missed the prayer with the imam, this is contrary to what is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), as in the hadith you referred to . And because the one who missed the congregational prayer did not delay it intentionally, but rather he came to pray with the congregation, only to find that it had passed. So if he comes with another person or more, they pray it as a congregation, and this is what is required in the mosque. What is prohibited is for people to intentionally divide the congregation into multiple congregations. If they intend the division, that is what is prohibited, because this involves splitting the congregation of Muslims and splitting the faith, if they intend this. But if they did not intend it, and they came to pray with the imam, but found that he had already prayed, then it is prescribed for them to lengthen the prayer and pray as a congregation in the mosque, and praise be to Allah. And everyone who comes to pray with them is excused for what they did. Yes.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you.

The questioner:
May Allah reward you with good and do you good. If the hadith is authentic, Shaykh Salih, "Give charity, whoever gives charity for this person?"

The Shaykh:
I do not know that there is any harm in it. Also, the general principles state that the one who missed the congregation performs it according to his ability and capacity, and does not delay it. And its prayer in the mosque is undoubtedly either obligatory or recommended.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you with good, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon him.

The Shaykh:
A person's prayer in his house, except for the obligatory ones. The obligatory ones are prayed in the mosque. Yes.

The questioner:
Fine, he asks about the ruling on consistently persisting in such a practice, Shaykh Salih?

The Shaykh:
The one who organizes this and persists in it intentionally, this is not permissible. But the one who did not do so except by chance, who came wanting to pray with the established congregation with the imam, but missed the prayer, then he is excused, and he is commanded to pray in the mosque with whoever is with him from