If a traveler prays Maghrib and then 'Isha, and a group comes to pray Maghrib, what should they do? Is it possible for them to pray with them?
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The questioner : Your Eminence, what is your opinion regarding the establishment of prayer for travelers when they have performed the obligatory Maghrib prayer and wish to perform the obligatory 'Isha prayer, and then another group enters the mosque to perform the obligatory prayer? Do they pray Maghrib with the intention of 'Isha, or do they establish a separate congregation?
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful:
First: regarding the combining you mentioned, you stated that travelers pray the rawatib, but a traveler is not required to pray the rawatib. A traveler should not pray the rawatib.
The questioner : No, I mean, O Shaykh, those who perform the 'Isha prayer after Maghrib because they are travelers with the intention of delaying it.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is right. The point is that there are no rawatib.
The questioner : There are no rawatib.
The Shaykh : This group combined the prayers by delaying them, and then after they prayed Maghrib, a group arrived wanting to pray Maghrib?
What is recommended is that the group that arrived should be the ones who pray behind the first group. The first group should establish the 'Isha prayer, and the second group should join them with the intention of Maghrib. When the first group completes the 'Isha prayer, which is two rak'ahs, these people should stand up and complete their Maghrib prayer. This is preferable because these people are earlier than the later ones, and because if their imam is the one who is praying with everyone, the Maghrib prayer will not be disrupted for the others. However, if the later ones were the ones who prayed with this group, the 'Isha prayer would be disrupted for them. So, as I told you, it is preferable that the imam be from the first group who want to pray the Maghrib prayer.
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful:
First: regarding the combining you mentioned, you stated that travelers pray the rawatib, but a traveler is not required to pray the rawatib. A traveler should not pray the rawatib.
The questioner : No, I mean, O Shaykh, those who perform the 'Isha prayer after Maghrib because they are travelers with the intention of delaying it.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is right. The point is that there are no rawatib.
The questioner : There are no rawatib.
The Shaykh : This group combined the prayers by delaying them, and then after they prayed Maghrib, a group arrived wanting to pray Maghrib?
What is recommended is that the group that arrived should be the ones who pray behind the first group. The first group should establish the 'Isha prayer, and the second group should join them with the intention of Maghrib. When the first group completes the 'Isha prayer, which is two rak'ahs, these people should stand up and complete their Maghrib prayer. This is preferable because these people are earlier than the later ones, and because if their imam is the one who is praying with everyone, the Maghrib prayer will not be disrupted for the others. However, if the later ones were the ones who prayed with this group, the 'Isha prayer would be disrupted for them. So, as I told you, it is preferable that the imam be from the first group who want to pray the Maghrib prayer.