What is the ruling on one who enters the prayer without intending to combine? Does his intention follow the imam?
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The questioner : When the iqamah for the prayer was called, the latecomers arrived, and I did not know...
The Shaykh : Be patient.
The questioner : I joined the congregation while I did not know if they were... I entered the mosque while I did not know whether the imam intended to combine or not. Is it permissible for me to pray with the imam's intention?
The Shaykh : With the imam's intention!
The questioner : If it is a combined prayer, I pray with the intention of combining; if it is not combined, I pray...?
The Shaykh : You do not pray with your own intention; your being ahead of them in that is a mistake!
The questioner : My intention is regarding the difference in intentions: I pray 'Asr while he intends to pray Zuhr?
The Shaykh : This intention is up to you, not for him.
The questioner : Hehe.
The Shaykh : In every case, we are answering you.
The questioner : Another question: there are jurisprudential issues...
The Shaykh : What do we do? He is the session manager, so we have to go with him!
The questioner : The imam is praying 'Asr, and one person enters to pray Zuhr...
The Shaykh : ... The difference in intention, may Allah reward you, between the follower and the imam does not harm. It is reported in Sahih al-Bukhari from the hadith of Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "Mu'adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pray the 'Isha' prayer behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), then he would go to his people and pray with them as their imam. It was a voluntary prayer for him and an obligatory prayer for them." If there is a difference in intention, it does not harm. It is also established in many hadiths that describe the method of the prayer of fear, the prayer of war. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to, in some descriptions of this prayer, pray two rak'ahs with the first group, then say the taslim with them. That group would then leave and take the position of the other group, and the other group would come, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) would pray with them two other rak'ahs. These two rak'ahs were voluntary for him and obligatory for them. Therefore, a difference in intention does not harm. This naturally includes one who prays Zuhr behind one who is praying 'Asr; this is even more acceptable because he intended an obligatory prayer behind an obligatory prayer, and so on. Yes.
The Shaykh : Be patient.
The questioner : I joined the congregation while I did not know if they were... I entered the mosque while I did not know whether the imam intended to combine or not. Is it permissible for me to pray with the imam's intention?
The Shaykh : With the imam's intention!
The questioner : If it is a combined prayer, I pray with the intention of combining; if it is not combined, I pray...?
The Shaykh : You do not pray with your own intention; your being ahead of them in that is a mistake!
The questioner : My intention is regarding the difference in intentions: I pray 'Asr while he intends to pray Zuhr?
The Shaykh : This intention is up to you, not for him.
The questioner : Hehe.
The Shaykh : In every case, we are answering you.
The questioner : Another question: there are jurisprudential issues...
The Shaykh : What do we do? He is the session manager, so we have to go with him!
The questioner : The imam is praying 'Asr, and one person enters to pray Zuhr...
The Shaykh : ... The difference in intention, may Allah reward you, between the follower and the imam does not harm. It is reported in Sahih al-Bukhari from the hadith of Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "Mu'adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pray the 'Isha' prayer behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), then he would go to his people and pray with them as their imam. It was a voluntary prayer for him and an obligatory prayer for them." If there is a difference in intention, it does not harm. It is also established in many hadiths that describe the method of the prayer of fear, the prayer of war. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to, in some descriptions of this prayer, pray two rak'ahs with the first group, then say the taslim with them. That group would then leave and take the position of the other group, and the other group would come, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) would pray with them two other rak'ahs. These two rak'ahs were voluntary for him and obligatory for them. Therefore, a difference in intention does not harm. This naturally includes one who prays Zuhr behind one who is praying 'Asr; this is even more acceptable because he intended an obligatory prayer behind an obligatory prayer, and so on. Yes.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.