Combining the midday and afternoon prayers due to rain, and some worshippers praying after the afternoon prayer on the basis that it is the post-midday sunnah; is prayer after the afternoon prayer permissible?

The questioner : He says: We combined the midday and afternoon prayers in the mosque due to the rain, and some of the worshippers prayed after the afternoon prayer on the basis of the post-midday sunnah. Is prayer after the afternoon prayer permissible in this case? Please inform us about this as well?

The Shaykh : Yes, if a person combines the midday and afternoon prayers, either by advancing or delaying, there is no blame on him for praying the post-midday sunnah after the afternoon prayer. This is because this sunnah has a cause, and prayers that have a cause do not fall under the prayers from which one is prohibited. The prohibition is only for the absolute prayer, where a person stands up to offer voluntary prayer in the prohibited times without a cause. As for those with causes, the stronger opinion among the scholars is that there is no prohibition regarding them. Therefore, it is permissible for a person to pray the greeting of the mosque after the afternoon prayer and after the dawn prayer, and to pray the sunnah of ablution likewise after the afternoon prayer and after the dawn prayer. Every prayer that has a cause follows this rule: it does not fall into the prohibited times.

The questioner : Yes. May Allah reward you. This listener, Ali K. M., says.