In some mosques, they advance the prayer on the grounds that if they delayed it, people would pray in their homes. Is this valid?
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The questioner : Some mosques that hasten the iqamah attract a very large number of people; one can almost assert that if the prayer were delayed, half of them would pray in their homes. Is this a recommended practice to attract... the congregational prayer?
The Shaykh : In any case, advancing the prayer is originally better than delaying it, except for 'Isha'. However, the advancement that some people do now—some advance it to the point where one doubts whether they prayed within the time or before its entry—this is not permissible. That is, it is not permissible for a person to pray or enter into prayer while he is in doubt about whether the time has entered or not.
The Shaykh : In any case, advancing the prayer is originally better than delaying it, except for 'Isha'. However, the advancement that some people do now—some advance it to the point where one doubts whether they prayed within the time or before its entry—this is not permissible. That is, it is not permissible for a person to pray or enter into prayer while he is in doubt about whether the time has entered or not.