What is the ruling on combining two prayers in the mosque based on the request of one of the worshippers?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : We have just seen an example of this. When we were praying the midday prayer, the imam stood up and looked at the people and said something to the effect of, "What do you think? Should we combine?" He consulted the worshippers. Some said, as you know, Shaykh, "Let us combine," and others said, "Let us not combine." The opinion settled on...
The Shaykh : ...not combining.
The questioner : ...not combining. In the end, one person, whose voice was loud, said, "O Shaykh, if we do not combine now, we will go to the other mosques where they are combining, so we will not be praying in closed mosques or the like." He changed his mind and said, "Then what? We will combine."
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner : So he prayed with us and combined. In this case, should one follow him and pray with him?
The Shaykh : We need to see why he combined.
The questioner : As far as I can see, it was for the sake of that man who told him, "We are praying now; if we pray and do not combine..."
The Shaykh : No problem, we understood that, but is the legal reason for combining present or not?
The questioner : Generally, yes, it is present.
The Shaykh : Okay, whether it was for that reason or another, the important thing is: is the reason for combining present?
The questioner : It is present, yes.
The Shaykh : That is it.
The questioner : This hesitation does not change the ruling in any way.
The Shaykh : Not at all.
The questioner : O our Shaykh, I arrived at the beginning of the afternoon prayer during the combination, and I had missed the midday prayer. I thought I could intend the midday prayer. Is it possible after...
The Shaykh : Do you mean you caught up with them for the afternoon prayer?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And they combined the midday and afternoon prayers by advancing the midday prayer?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So you prayed the midday prayer behind them?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : You may pray the afternoon prayer after that. Your question is: may you pray the afternoon prayer after that?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So, you did not catch up with them for even one unit of the afternoon prayer?
The questioner : No, I missed one unit with him.
The Shaykh : Ah, no, it is not permissible for you. You must not pray it in congregation in another mosque.
The questioner : O our Shaykh, that is fine. This is the benefit we know from you. But some of our brothers mentioned that you had an old opinion.
The Shaykh: And that is...
The questioner : You distinguish the issue, saying you ask this person...The questioner : ...if he did not pray, does he find, or to put it another way, another detail: in this neighborhood where you pray, there are no people other than those who are praying. So if you do not pray with them and do not combine later, you will pray alone when the time for the afternoon prayer enters.
The Shaykh : No, I have never had that opinion, because I would say that if that were the case, he would pray in his home with his family in congregation.
The questioner : Yes, may Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And beware of that.
The questioner : O our Shaykh, according to the fatwa I heard, if the afternoon prayer is established now, is it considered a second congregation, given that the first congregation has already prayed?
The Shaykh : The first congregation, the first congregation, which prayer?
The questioner : When he prayed the afternoon prayer.
The Shaykh : Which prayer? Answer me.
The questioner : In the afternoon.
The Shaykh : No, how? The afternoon prayer. Are you asking if the afternoon prayer is a second congregation or not?
The questioner : Now, meaning after they combined?
The Shaykh : They combined the midday prayer.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Then they prayed the afternoon prayer.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : After the midday prayer.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Are you asking if this afternoon prayer is a second congregation or not?
The questioner : I mean, now, if the call to prayer is made now in its proper legal time, not as a combination, meaning the call for the afternoon prayer is made now, and some people go to pray?
The Shaykh : No, this is not considered a second congregation.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And beware of that.
The questioner : One of the brothers... now says that he attended the combination at the time of the midday prayer. When the call for the afternoon prayer was made, he found himself free, so he came to the mosque to pray the afternoon prayer. He asks: does this person pray, and with what intention does he intend?
The Shaykh : He had combined.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : And with what type of intention?
The Shaykh : Voluntary.
The questioner : In the afternoon.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is permissible.
The Shaykh : ...not combining.
The questioner : ...not combining. In the end, one person, whose voice was loud, said, "O Shaykh, if we do not combine now, we will go to the other mosques where they are combining, so we will not be praying in closed mosques or the like." He changed his mind and said, "Then what? We will combine."
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner : So he prayed with us and combined. In this case, should one follow him and pray with him?
The Shaykh : We need to see why he combined.
The questioner : As far as I can see, it was for the sake of that man who told him, "We are praying now; if we pray and do not combine..."
The Shaykh : No problem, we understood that, but is the legal reason for combining present or not?
The questioner : Generally, yes, it is present.
The Shaykh : Okay, whether it was for that reason or another, the important thing is: is the reason for combining present?
The questioner : It is present, yes.
The Shaykh : That is it.
The questioner : This hesitation does not change the ruling in any way.
The Shaykh : Not at all.
The questioner : O our Shaykh, I arrived at the beginning of the afternoon prayer during the combination, and I had missed the midday prayer. I thought I could intend the midday prayer. Is it possible after...
The Shaykh : Do you mean you caught up with them for the afternoon prayer?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And they combined the midday and afternoon prayers by advancing the midday prayer?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So you prayed the midday prayer behind them?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : You may pray the afternoon prayer after that. Your question is: may you pray the afternoon prayer after that?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So, you did not catch up with them for even one unit of the afternoon prayer?
The questioner : No, I missed one unit with him.
The Shaykh : Ah, no, it is not permissible for you. You must not pray it in congregation in another mosque.
The questioner : O our Shaykh, that is fine. This is the benefit we know from you. But some of our brothers mentioned that you had an old opinion.
The Shaykh: And that is...
The questioner : You distinguish the issue, saying you ask this person...The questioner : ...if he did not pray, does he find, or to put it another way, another detail: in this neighborhood where you pray, there are no people other than those who are praying. So if you do not pray with them and do not combine later, you will pray alone when the time for the afternoon prayer enters.
The Shaykh : No, I have never had that opinion, because I would say that if that were the case, he would pray in his home with his family in congregation.
The questioner : Yes, may Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And beware of that.
The questioner : O our Shaykh, according to the fatwa I heard, if the afternoon prayer is established now, is it considered a second congregation, given that the first congregation has already prayed?
The Shaykh : The first congregation, the first congregation, which prayer?
The questioner : When he prayed the afternoon prayer.
The Shaykh : Which prayer? Answer me.
The questioner : In the afternoon.
The Shaykh : No, how? The afternoon prayer. Are you asking if the afternoon prayer is a second congregation or not?
The questioner : Now, meaning after they combined?
The Shaykh : They combined the midday prayer.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Then they prayed the afternoon prayer.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : After the midday prayer.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Are you asking if this afternoon prayer is a second congregation or not?
The questioner : I mean, now, if the call to prayer is made now in its proper legal time, not as a combination, meaning the call for the afternoon prayer is made now, and some people go to pray?
The Shaykh : No, this is not considered a second congregation.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And beware of that.
The questioner : One of the brothers... now says that he attended the combination at the time of the midday prayer. When the call for the afternoon prayer was made, he found himself free, so he came to the mosque to pray the afternoon prayer. He asks: does this person pray, and with what intention does he intend?
The Shaykh : He had combined.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : And with what type of intention?
The Shaykh : Voluntary.
The questioner : In the afternoon.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is permissible.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.