The ruling on praying the 'Asr prayer in congregation in a mosque where the imam combined the Zuhr and 'Asr prayers

The questioner : All right, Shaykh, if we come to the mosque for the 'Asr prayer and find that the imam has combined the Zuhr and 'Asr, is the congregation not considered valid because it is a repetition of congregations in the same mosque? I am not coming.

The Shaykh : Hello, what is it?

The questioner : When I arrived at the mosque, the imam had combined the Zuhr and 'Asr prayers. But I had prayed in a mosque where they were not combining; I attended the 'Asr prayer considering it a congregation within a congregation, but I found that this mosque was combining. However, there were three, four, or five people present in the mosque who did not have a congregation in their neighborhood and were combining with the imam in the Zuhr prayer. I prayed behind them as an imam in this mosque. Is this considered a second congregation?

The Shaykh : It was the first one.

The questioner : Was it not in its proper time?

The Shaykh : It was the first congregation.

The questioner : No, it is not the first; it is the first for those who attended the 'Asr prayer because they were not combining, and the prayer is considered the second because the imam combined in the Zuhr prayer.

The Shaykh : Do you mean that the regular imam did not attend the 'Asr prayer, for example, at its proper time?

The questioner : Yes, because he combined the Zuhr and 'Asr prayers.

The Shaykh : So he did not attend.

The questioner : We did not attend.

The Shaykh : Yes, so you entered the time and prayed. It is not a second congregation, but in this case, this is a mistake. This case is a mistake because the regular imam must attend.

The questioner : He must attend.

The Shaykh : For the sake of this matter.

The questioner : So that he leads the people, and there is a voluntary prayer and so on.

The Shaykh : Do you understand?

The questioner: Or the assistant, of course.

The Shaykh : Because it is not permissible to neglect this call, and the mu'adhdhin must call the adhan.

The questioner : In the adhan, he calls, and when we come down.

The Shaykh : And because of this, he will call if the imam calls, if the mu'adhdhin calls, and the imam wants to pray.

The questioner: So it means the sunnah is necessary, meaning, even if we combine, we call the adhan that is required of us.

The Shaykh: Exactly like the Friday prayer if it coincides with the 'Eid.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : And you know that the Sunnah is that if a day of 'Id and Jumu'ah coincide, the obligation of Jumu'ah is dropped from the one who prays the 'Id prayer. But the imam must attend the Jumu'ah prayer. For what reason? For the sake of those, for example, who were not able to pray the 'Id prayer.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh: It is obligatory for him to pray the Friday prayer. Where will he pray the Friday prayer if the imam does not attend? This is one point. This is one point, not that everyone takes the dispensation.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Meaning, I prayed the 'Id prayer and I do not want to go pray Jumu'ah? No, I want to combine the two prayers, the 'Id prayer and the Jumu'ah prayer. I go to Jumu'ah and Allah, the imam did not attend. Why did he not attend? Because he prayed the 'Id prayer. No, this is an obligation upon him, a different obligation.

The questioner : This is a gift, meaning the imam is not praying Maghrib and 'Isha' as a gift on his own; he opens the door.

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : About what? He was silent about the sustenance.

The Shaykh : Abu Hamid, he is my guest.