A person combined Maghrib and 'Isha' prayers, and when the time for 'Isha' arrived, he went to the mosque and prayed the congregation prayer voluntarily. Do these four rak'ahs count as part of the night prayer (qiyam al-layl) and are they included in the count?

The questioner : By Allah, our professor, regarding a person who combined Maghrib and 'Isha' prayers, and when the time for 'Isha' arrived, he went to the mosque and prayed voluntarily with the standing congregation. Does this voluntary prayer count? Of course, we have heard the hadith which is Do these four rak'ahs count toward the thirteen rak'ahs? And then, for example, as we hear that the night prayer is prayed two by two, can I separate the two rak'ahs from the other two while I am behind the imam?

The Shaykh : Is this a second question or what?

The questioner : I mean, it is all intertwined.

The Shaykh : Do not be confused, because knowledge requires clarification and explanation. So, we consider this a second question.

The questioner : Yes

The Shaykh : This is the one who prayed 'Isha' a second time with the congregation in the mosque. This is considered an absolute voluntary prayer (nafilah mutlaqah) for him, and it has no connection to the night prayer (qiyam al-layl). In the sense that if this man has a good habit of praying at night, either in the beginning, middle, or end of the night, according to his energy and free time, and if he wants to pray, he prays eleven rak'ahs, and the four rak'ahs he prayed behind the congregation as a second 'Isha' prayer are not counted. If we have finished answering the first question, I am now ready to understand the second question well. What is it? Does he pray four by four or two by two?

The questioner : Of course, we know that the night prayer is prayed two by two. So, approximately, the first question was clarified, but please proceed.

The Shaykh : First, as you know, Second, his intention was to perform voluntary prayer, and it was due to his catching up with the second congregation, like the two men whose story we mention during the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) Farewell Pilgrimage. He (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed the Fajr prayer in the Mosque of Mina, the Mosque of al-Khayf. When he finished the Fajr prayer, he found two men in a distant area away from the mosque, so he called them and said to them, They said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "What prevented you from praying with us?" They said, "O Messenger of Allah, we had already prayed in our tents." He said, So, this is a voluntary prayer of repeating the obligatory prayer. He prayed it because he attended the congregation. This is considered an absolute voluntary prayer, whereas the night prayer is not like that. Please proceed.