Is it permissible to set specific times for the iqamah?
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The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : For the sake of public benefit, there is nothing wrong with setting specific times for the iqamah. There is no harm in doing so for a valid benefit, because the authorities saw that setting these times would prevent disagreement among people. For example, some people rush very early, and those who lag behind the congregation or do not care about praying in congregation claim that they prayed with so-and-so. This has been observed in the markets, where shops open and people are praying, and someone asks why, and the answer is, "I prayed with such-and-such a mosque, which started early." So they saw it in the public interest to unify the time for the iqamah.
The Shaykh : For the sake of public benefit, there is nothing wrong with setting specific times for the iqamah. There is no harm in doing so for a valid benefit, because the authorities saw that setting these times would prevent disagreement among people. For example, some people rush very early, and those who lag behind the congregation or do not care about praying in congregation claim that they prayed with so-and-so. This has been observed in the markets, where shops open and people are praying, and someone asks why, and the answer is, "I prayed with such-and-such a mosque, which started early." So they saw it in the public interest to unify the time for the iqamah.