A traveler intended to combine the Maghrib and 'Isha' prayers, entered the mosque, and found that the 'Isha' prayer had already begun; what should he do?

The questioner : A traveling man wanted to pray Maghrib in congregation with a resident in the mosque. When he entered the mosque, it was the time for 'Isha'. Does he pray with the intention of Maghrib? Please provide the evidence.

The Shaykh: How.

The questioner : You mean the worshiper entered the mosque and the imam was about to pray 'Isha'. This traveler, yes, he prays Maghrib with the imam during 'Isha' with the intention of Maghrib?

The Shaykh : You mean, as if you are saying a man entered the mosque while traveling and had already intended to combine the two prayers.

The questioner : Yes, exactly.

The Shaykh : And he had not yet prayed Maghrib. When he entered the mosque, he found the imam and that the 'Isha' prayer had begun. What should this traveler pray behind this imam? Does he pray the obligatory Maghrib as three rak'ahs, or does he pray 'Isha' behind him as four rak'ahs and then follow up by praying Maghrib as three rak'ahs after 'Isha'? The answer is that he must pray three rak'ahs of Maghrib behind this imam, because the order between the prayers is obligatory. It is not valid for a Muslim to pray 'Isha' before Maghrib and then pray Maghrib, because this changes the established schedule of prayer times. He must pray Maghrib behind this imam who is praying 'Isha'. It is established in the Sunnah, in more than one authentic hadith, that a difference in intention between the follower and the imam does not cause harm, contrary to some schools of jurisprudence which say, for example, that it is not permissible for one praying an obligatory prayer to follow one praying a voluntary prayer. If that is the case, then this traveler intending Maghrib behind the resident who is praying 'Isha' does not cause harm. The difference in the number of rak'ahs between these two prayers is also easy to handle, because this follower intending Maghrib can intend to separate from the imam when the imam praying 'Isha' stands up for the fourth rak'ah. Some say: he remains in his tashahhud until the imam sits for his tashahhud, so they share it and this follower says the taslim with him. We do not find evidence for this due to the contradiction involved. However, the intention to separate is established in more than one hadith. The most famous of these hadiths is the story of that Ansari who entered the mosque of Mu'adh to pray 'Isha'. When Mu'adh began reciting Surat al-Baqarah, he intended to separate. When Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) learned of this, he started cursing him and speaking ill of him, saying he was a hypocrite. He complained to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: , as you know, , and similar verses from other surahs . The point of this hadith is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not hold that Ansari accountable when he intended to separate from the imam, and he had no excuse other than fatigue. So here, if this traveler intends to separate from the imam to complete his prayer according to the method prescribed for all Muslims, which is that Maghrib is three rak'ahs, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, and he is not required to do otherwise. Among the evidence for this, which is one of the Sunnahs not often mentioned and some students may not recall, is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he prayed the prayer of fear with his companions, would pray with them in various forms. One of these forms was that he would pray two rak'ahs for himself and one rak'ah for each group. One group would stand facing the enemy, and the other group would come and follow behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as he began the prayer with them. When he (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up for the second rak'ah, these people would sit for the tashahhud and say the taslim, so they had one rak'ah. Then they would go and take the place of the other group so that this group could come and pray the second rak'ah behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he would say the taslim with them. Thus, the prayer for him (peace and blessings be upon him) was two rak'ahs, and for each of the two groups, one rak'ah. This is what we see regarding this traveler who followed the resident imam. Yes.

The questioner : ...Does that imply that when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order the man who prayed behind Mu'adh to repeat the prayer, it implies that the act of separating is a prescribed matter? This is the first point. Because when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was with 'Umar and 'Ammar, and we know the story of tayammum when 'Ammar and 'Umar rolled in the mud and left the prayer, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order 'Umar to repeat the prayer either, and yet this does not mean that a person in a state of major ritual impurity is not required to pray. As for the second point, the prayer of fear, this is a special prayer that differs from the ordinary prayer because it has characteristics and features that differ from ordinary prayers in most of its forms.

The Shaykh : You mean you think we do not know that the prayer of fear differs from the other prayers? May Allah reward you. First, regarding your mention that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order that man to repeat the prayer, I did not address this issue at all. I cited the fact that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not rebuke this man for intending to separate from Mu'adh and praying alone. This is my citation. I did not say that he ordered him or did not order him. I explicitly stated previously that if the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) approved of this man separating from the imam he was following for an excuse related to a material matter, namely his fatigue and his work during the day, then it is even more appropriate to find an excuse for this worshiper who wants to complete his prayer in the manner prescribed and known to all scholars. So I did not say that he did not order him or why he did not order him in ... the prayer. We did not address repeating the prayer. My citation is only that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) approved of what this man did because he was excused ... We all know that the prayer of fear has specific rulings, and it is sufficient to note that the prayer of fear is one rak'ah, and there is no prayer in the five daily prayers that is one rak'ah. But my citation is that the first group came and prayed behind the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) this rak'ah, which is the prayer of fear, and they intended to separate, knowing that there are many forms, as I mentioned at the beginning ... that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would pray one rak'ah with one group and say the taslim, and pray one rak'ah with another group and say the taslim, and pray two rak'ahs with another group and say the taslim, and pray two rak'ahs with a group and say the taslim, and pray two rak'ahs with another group and say the taslim. All these forms I mentioned earlier. But the point of the citation is that this first group, in the form I mentioned, intended to separate from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and the imam remained standing until the second group came. So the point of the citation is only the intention to separate. Add to this something I did not mention: we have no indication that this specific act, namely this follower who intended three rak'ahs of Maghrib behind the imam who is praying four, is prohibited. We have no evidence preventing this act. If this is added to what came before, it will be, if Allah wills, light upon light. Please proceed.