We want to delay the 'Isha' prayer, and the imam says it is better to pray at the beginning of its time, so what is the correct ruling?
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The questioner : May Allah preserve you, Shaykh. We are the people of this mosque, and we wish to delay the 'Isha' prayer because we are the only ones in this area, and we are able to establish the congregation and gather people for prayer if we delay it. The imam says it is better to pray at the beginning of its time?
The Shaykh : The answer to this question, if it is with this specification and this detail, is that the answer attributed to the imam is not correct, unless he himself is hesitant about delaying it, in which case that is a different matter. But to say that praying at the beginning of its time is better, this answer or this statement regarding the 'Isha' prayer is not correct. This is because the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), as it came in *Sahih al-Bukhari* and *Muslim* from the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him):, and it came in some other narrations: :
This hadith is among the general hadiths that have been specified. So every prayer of the five prayers is included in this statement or in this answer from the Messenger (peace be upon him), except for the 'Isha' prayer. Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say, as it came in *Sahih al-Bukhari* and others:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 23Hasan (Darussalam): So delaying the 'Isha' prayer to the middle of the night is the better option if it does not cause hardship for the people of the mosque. But if there are people for whom delaying it causes hardship, then the matter returns to what it was in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), which is not delaying the 'Isha' prayer.
In any case, this issue concerns the residents of the town or the inhabitants around this mosque. If they see that there is no harm in delaying the 'Isha' prayer, then the response to them should not be that praying at the beginning of its time is better, because this is not correct regarding the 'Isha' prayer. But to say that not everyone desires to delay it, that is possible to say. As for the answer that praying at the beginning of its time, meaning even for the 'Isha' prayer.
The Shaykh : The answer to this question, if it is with this specification and this detail, is that the answer attributed to the imam is not correct, unless he himself is hesitant about delaying it, in which case that is a different matter. But to say that praying at the beginning of its time is better, this answer or this statement regarding the 'Isha' prayer is not correct. This is because the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), as it came in *Sahih al-Bukhari* and *Muslim* from the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him):
That the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when asked about the best deeds, said: Prayer at its time.
أن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم لما سُئل عن أفضل الأعمال قال: الصلاة لوقتهاPrayer at the beginning of its time.
الصلاة لأول وقتهاThis hadith is among the general hadiths that have been specified. So every prayer of the five prayers is included in this statement or in this answer from the Messenger (peace be upon him), except for the 'Isha' prayer. Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say, as it came in *Sahih al-Bukhari* and others:
If it were not that it would be difficult on my nation then, I would have ordered them to use the Siwak for each prayer and to delay the Isha prayer until the third of the night.
لولا أن أَشُقَّ على أمتي لأمرتهم بالسواك عند كل صلاة، ولأخرت صلاة العشاء إلى نصف الليلIn any case, this issue concerns the residents of the town or the inhabitants around this mosque. If they see that there is no harm in delaying the 'Isha' prayer, then the response to them should not be that praying at the beginning of its time is better, because this is not correct regarding the 'Isha' prayer. But to say that not everyone desires to delay it, that is possible to say. As for the answer that praying at the beginning of its time, meaning even for the 'Isha' prayer.