A person slept before the midday prayer and woke up at the call to the afternoon prayer, thinking it was the call to the midday prayer, so he went to the mosque and prayed thinking it was the midday prayer, and after finishing
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The questioner : The questioner says: A person slept before the midday prayer and woke up at the call to the afternoon prayer, thinking it was the call to the midday prayer, so he went to the mosque and prayed thinking it was the midday prayer. After finishing, it became clear to him that the prayer was the afternoon prayer, so he stood up and prayed the afternoon prayer. Is his prayer in this manner valid?
The Shaykh : The questioner is present. If it is a cloudy day, it is possible that the midday prayer is the afternoon prayer, because the day is cloudy. But if there is no cloud, would one confuse the midday prayer with the afternoon prayer? Unless he is walking with his eyes closed, perhaps. In any case, the situation may arise; there is a possibility that it happens: a person wakes up from sleep and goes to the mosque and thinks the prayer is the midday prayer. However, the evidence is abundant that if it is the midday prayer... In any case, if a person prays in the time of the afternoon prayer a prayer thinking it is the midday prayer, his prayer is valid. So now, this man who prayed with the people with the intention of the midday prayer, while the people are praying the afternoon prayer, his prayer is valid and there is no sin on him. But I am asking you now: if a person intentionally does that, deliberately, by coming to the mosque and finding the people praying the afternoon prayer, while he has not prayed the midday prayer, and he joins them with the intention of the midday prayer while they are praying the afternoon prayer, is that possible for him? Yes, this is possible, because a difference in intention between the imam and the follower does not harm. Pay attention: what harms is differing with the imam, not differing with him in intention. For this reason, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 722 He clarified the place of difference, saying: "When he says the takbir, say the takbir," to the end of it. The difference that is prohibited is differing with the imam in actions, but in intention, it does not harm. So it is permissible for you to pray the midday prayer behind one who is praying the afternoon prayer, and to pray the afternoon prayer behind one who is praying the midday prayer, and to pray the night prayer behind one who is praying the sunset prayer, and there is no blame on you. Rather, it is permissible for you to pray the sunset prayer behind one who is praying the night prayer.
The questioner : If he did it intentionally, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Pay attention, and it is permissible to pray the sunset prayer behind one who is praying the night prayer, but there is a problem with this. The problem is: if he stands up for the fourth rak'ah, what do you do? He sits and waits for the imam's taslim, unless you are one of those who combine prayers, in which case you intend to pray alone, you recite the tashahhud, and you say the taslim in order to catch up with the imam in the remainder of the night prayer. Imam Ahmad stated a matter that concerns us at this time. He said: If a person comes and the imam is praying the tarawih prayer, there is no harm in entering with the imam with the intention of the night prayer. And when the imam says the taslim from the tarawih prayer, he completes the remainder of the night prayer, one or two rak'ahs. Good. And if he is a traveler and prays two rak'ahs of tarawih with the imam, he says the taslim with the imam, because the imam will not pray more than two rak'ahs. And I, considering myself a traveler, my obligatory prayer is two rak'ahs, but the imam is praying the tarawih prayer, which is not the night prayer.
The Shaykh : The questioner is present. If it is a cloudy day, it is possible that the midday prayer is the afternoon prayer, because the day is cloudy. But if there is no cloud, would one confuse the midday prayer with the afternoon prayer? Unless he is walking with his eyes closed, perhaps. In any case, the situation may arise; there is a possibility that it happens: a person wakes up from sleep and goes to the mosque and thinks the prayer is the midday prayer. However, the evidence is abundant that if it is the midday prayer... In any case, if a person prays in the time of the afternoon prayer a prayer thinking it is the midday prayer, his prayer is valid. So now, this man who prayed with the people with the intention of the midday prayer, while the people are praying the afternoon prayer, his prayer is valid and there is no sin on him. But I am asking you now: if a person intentionally does that, deliberately, by coming to the mosque and finding the people praying the afternoon prayer, while he has not prayed the midday prayer, and he joins them with the intention of the midday prayer while they are praying the afternoon prayer, is that possible for him? Yes, this is possible, because a difference in intention between the imam and the follower does not harm. Pay attention: what harms is differing with the imam, not differing with him in intention. For this reason, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
The Imam is (appointed) to be followed. So do not differ from him
إنما جعل الإمام ليؤتم به فلا تختلفوا عليه فإذا كبرThe questioner : If he did it intentionally, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Pay attention, and it is permissible to pray the sunset prayer behind one who is praying the night prayer, but there is a problem with this. The problem is: if he stands up for the fourth rak'ah, what do you do? He sits and waits for the imam's taslim, unless you are one of those who combine prayers, in which case you intend to pray alone, you recite the tashahhud, and you say the taslim in order to catch up with the imam in the remainder of the night prayer. Imam Ahmad stated a matter that concerns us at this time. He said: If a person comes and the imam is praying the tarawih prayer, there is no harm in entering with the imam with the intention of the night prayer. And when the imam says the taslim from the tarawih prayer, he completes the remainder of the night prayer, one or two rak'ahs. Good. And if he is a traveler and prays two rak'ahs of tarawih with the imam, he says the taslim with the imam, because the imam will not pray more than two rak'ahs. And I, considering myself a traveler, my obligatory prayer is two rak'ahs, but the imam is praying the tarawih prayer, which is not the night prayer.