A man who did not pray Maghrib entered the mosque and found the imam in the Isha prayer; should he join him with the intention of Maghrib, and if he does so, should he perform the prostration for forgetfulness?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you. The questioner asks: A man who did not pray Maghrib entered the mosque and found the imam in the Isha prayer; should he join him with the intention of Maghrib? And if he does so, should he perform the prostration for forgetfulness?
The Shaykh : Yes, if a person enters having not prayed Maghrib and finds the people praying Isha and completing the Isha prayer, meaning in the town, we say: enter with them in the Isha prayer with the intention of the Maghrib prayer, and there is no problem with that if he enters in the second rak'ah or any subsequent one. This is because if he enters in the second rak'ah, when will he say the closing salam with the imam? Because he has prayed three. And if he enters in the third rak'ah, he performs one rak'ah after the imam's salam. And if he enters in the fourth, he performs two rak'ahs after the imam. But the issue is if he enters with the imam in the first rak'ah, where the imam is praying four and he is praying three; what does he do? We say: when the imam stands for the fourth, you sit down, recite the tashahhud, and say the closing salam. Then, if you catch up with the imam in the remainder of the Isha prayer, enter with him. And if the imam says the closing salam, pray Isha alone. This opinion is the stronger position among the opinions of the scholars. Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, if a person enters having not prayed Maghrib and finds the people praying Isha and completing the Isha prayer, meaning in the town, we say: enter with them in the Isha prayer with the intention of the Maghrib prayer, and there is no problem with that if he enters in the second rak'ah or any subsequent one. This is because if he enters in the second rak'ah, when will he say the closing salam with the imam? Because he has prayed three. And if he enters in the third rak'ah, he performs one rak'ah after the imam's salam. And if he enters in the fourth, he performs two rak'ahs after the imam. But the issue is if he enters with the imam in the first rak'ah, where the imam is praying four and he is praying three; what does he do? We say: when the imam stands for the fourth, you sit down, recite the tashahhud, and say the closing salam. Then, if you catch up with the imam in the remainder of the Isha prayer, enter with him. And if the imam says the closing salam, pray Isha alone. This opinion is the stronger position among the opinions of the scholars. Yes.