Is it permissible to have multiple congregations in the mosque at the same time?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : It is observed in some mosques along the roads that two congregations form at the same time. Is this correct?
The Shaykh : No, the best is that if you enter and there is a congregation, you pray with them with your own intention, intending the prayer you are about to perform.
The questioner : This is known, but if a person is in the last rak'ah, does he follow the first congregation, making it a voluntary prayer for him, and then wait for the entering congregation?
The Shaykh : No, absolutely not. He continues in his prayer, having intended it as an obligatory prayer.
The questioner : ... the second congregation, do they pray at the same time?
The Shaykh : Usually, if two congregations are found, the one closer to the qiblah is the first, so he prays with it.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Huh?
The questioner : And the second congregation?
The Shaykh : No, he does not pray with it, because it appears that the second congregation is the one that came upon the first congregation.
The questioner : What is the ruling on the second congregation?
The Shaykh : In any case, we do not see this. We see that a person, if he enters, should pray with those present so that the Muslims do not become divided.
The Shaykh : No, the best is that if you enter and there is a congregation, you pray with them with your own intention, intending the prayer you are about to perform.
The questioner : This is known, but if a person is in the last rak'ah, does he follow the first congregation, making it a voluntary prayer for him, and then wait for the entering congregation?
The Shaykh : No, absolutely not. He continues in his prayer, having intended it as an obligatory prayer.
The questioner : ... the second congregation, do they pray at the same time?
The Shaykh : Usually, if two congregations are found, the one closer to the qiblah is the first, so he prays with it.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Huh?
The questioner : And the second congregation?
The Shaykh : No, he does not pray with it, because it appears that the second congregation is the one that came upon the first congregation.
The questioner : What is the ruling on the second congregation?
The Shaykh : In any case, we do not see this. We see that a person, if he enters, should pray with those present so that the Muslims do not become divided.