The ruling on compelling the imam to combine prayers
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What is the ruling if the imam is compelled to combine prayers?The Shaykh: Who compels him?The questioner: The congregation of the mosque! The Shaykh: It is not possible to compel the imam to combine; the imam is an imam, and he is the authority in his mosque,If the people say to him: he combines, he considers, if the people are in a state that permits them to combine, it is obligatory for him to combine; because he is the guardian, and the guardian must do what is most comfortable for those under his care,Therefore the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: (If one of you leads the people, let him shorten the prayer, and if he prays for himself, let him lengthen it as he wishes) .
So if the congregation asks him to combine and combining is permissible, it is obligatory for him to respond; but on his own, it is permissible for him to combine and it is permissible for him not to combine, even with the presence of a valid reason, and if the congregation asks him to combine and the situation is not a valid reason for combining, it is not permissible for him to accept from them,And he says: I do not combine; because I do not see combining,If they persist and say: either you pray with us combining or we pray ourselves,He says: you pray, as for me, I do not combine.
And if he fears fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) in such a situation, let him pray with them, and intend it as a voluntary prayer, this is if he fears fitnah, and the matter is possible, though in a distant way, that there is a valid reason for combining.
As for if there is no valid reason, it is not permissible to combine,And he should say to them: O people, this is haram (forbidden); to combine without a valid reason;Because Allah said: [Surah al-Nisa: 103] and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explained this time, and assigned a specific time for each prayer.
So if the congregation asks him to combine and combining is permissible, it is obligatory for him to respond; but on his own, it is permissible for him to combine and it is permissible for him not to combine, even with the presence of a valid reason, and if the congregation asks him to combine and the situation is not a valid reason for combining, it is not permissible for him to accept from them,And he says: I do not combine; because I do not see combining,If they persist and say: either you pray with us combining or we pray ourselves,He says: you pray, as for me, I do not combine.
And if he fears fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) in such a situation, let him pray with them, and intend it as a voluntary prayer, this is if he fears fitnah, and the matter is possible, though in a distant way, that there is a valid reason for combining.
As for if there is no valid reason, it is not permissible to combine,And he should say to them: O people, this is haram (forbidden); to combine without a valid reason;Because Allah said: