A traveler who wants to pray 'Isha' behind a resident imam who is praying Maghrib: how should he pray with him? Does he shorten the prayer or complete it?
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The questioner : The honorable Shaykh, a group traveled and the Maghrib prayer became obligatory upon them. They stopped to perform the Maghrib prayer in a mosque and prayed with a congregation in the mosque. After the prayer ended...
The Shaykh : And the mosque, what are they praying?
The questioner : They are praying the Maghrib prayer.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : After the Maghrib prayer ended, they went to the back of the mosque and found people praying the Maghrib prayer. So this group split into three groups. One group entered a second group, joining the imam. And some people prayed 'Isha' for two rak'ahs. As for those who entered...
The Shaykh : And the third...
The questioner : And
The Shaykh : You said three categories.
The questioner : Yes, three.
The Shaykh : Three categories, the first category...
The questioner : The first category separated and prayed 'Isha' for two rak'ahs.
The Shaykh : Very well.
The questioner : And the two other categories joined the imam, so some of them completed four rak'ahs.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : And some of them, when the imam sat for the first tashahhud after the two rak'ahs, they sat and waited for the imam until he said the taslim, so they said the taslim with him. I do not know, meaning, is the one who...
The Shaykh : It appears that, if Allah wills, they are all correct. They are all correct. As for those who separated and prayed 'Isha' alone, they are correct, because some scholars say that a person cannot pray 'Isha' behind someone who is praying Maghrib, and that if he prays 'Isha' behind someone who prayed Maghrib, his prayer is invalid. Their prayer was valid. The others, when the imam stood for the third rak'ah and they had intended to shorten the prayer, they said, "We believe that this third rak'ah is not prescribed for us," so they sat. Either they say the taslim alone or they wait for the imam; they are also correct. And the third group said, "Since the imam is praying three rak'ahs, we must follow him, and then when he says the taslim, we will make up the fourth rak'ah," because when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed two rak'ahs with the people of Makkah, he used to say: So when he prayed the two rak'ahs and said the taslim, they stood up and completed the prayer. This was during the Battle of the Conquest. So they are all correct, if Allah wills. But what I see in such a situation is that the community should not split, and that they should enter with the people in the Maghrib prayer. The safest course for them is to follow the imam in the three rak'ahs, and then when he says the taslim, they complete the prayer for themselves. This is the safest of the three opinions.
The questioner : Even the one who sat and prayed two rak'ahs, he does not repeat his prayer?
The Shaykh : No, he does not have to repeat it.
The Shaykh : And the mosque, what are they praying?
The questioner : They are praying the Maghrib prayer.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : After the Maghrib prayer ended, they went to the back of the mosque and found people praying the Maghrib prayer. So this group split into three groups. One group entered a second group, joining the imam. And some people prayed 'Isha' for two rak'ahs. As for those who entered...
The Shaykh : And the third...
The questioner : And
The Shaykh : You said three categories.
The questioner : Yes, three.
The Shaykh : Three categories, the first category...
The questioner : The first category separated and prayed 'Isha' for two rak'ahs.
The Shaykh : Very well.
The questioner : And the two other categories joined the imam, so some of them completed four rak'ahs.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : And some of them, when the imam sat for the first tashahhud after the two rak'ahs, they sat and waited for the imam until he said the taslim, so they said the taslim with him. I do not know, meaning, is the one who...
The Shaykh : It appears that, if Allah wills, they are all correct. They are all correct. As for those who separated and prayed 'Isha' alone, they are correct, because some scholars say that a person cannot pray 'Isha' behind someone who is praying Maghrib, and that if he prays 'Isha' behind someone who prayed Maghrib, his prayer is invalid. Their prayer was valid. The others, when the imam stood for the third rak'ah and they had intended to shorten the prayer, they said, "We believe that this third rak'ah is not prescribed for us," so they sat. Either they say the taslim alone or they wait for the imam; they are also correct. And the third group said, "Since the imam is praying three rak'ahs, we must follow him, and then when he says the taslim, we will make up the fourth rak'ah," because when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed two rak'ahs with the people of Makkah, he used to say:
Complete the prayer, O people of Makkah, for we are a traveling people.
أتموا يا أهل مكة فإنا قوم سفرThe questioner : Even the one who sat and prayed two rak'ahs, he does not repeat his prayer?
The Shaykh : No, he does not have to repeat it.