The ruling on combining the midday and afternoon prayers for a traveler

Question : If a traveler intends to combine the midday prayer with the afternoon prayer, and then arrives at a village during the time of the afternoon prayer, and finds the congregation praying the afternoon prayer, should he pray the afternoon prayer with them before the midday prayer, or should he pray the midday prayer and then the afternoon prayer, even if he misses the congregation, or what should he do?

Answer : If a person enters the mosque while intending to combine the prayers, and finds the people praying the second prayer—meaning he entered having already combined or having intended to combine the midday and afternoon prayers—and the people are praying the afternoon prayer, we tell him: enter with them with the intention of the midday prayer, even if the imam is praying the afternoon prayer. This is because a difference in intention between the imam and the one praying behind him does not harm. So enter with them with the intention of the midday prayer, and when you complete the prayer, perform the afternoon prayer. It is known that you will pray the midday prayer with the imam as four units, and you will pray the afternoon prayer as two units if the town is not your home town, because you are a traveler.