Explanation of the Hadith: “When the prayer is established, there is no prayer except the obligatory one”

Question:
We ask your eminence for a simple explanation of the hadith: ?

Answer:
The hadith is to be understood according to its apparent meaning; it was narrated by Muslim in the Sahih.
The meaning of is that when the mu'adhdhin begins the iqamah, the one who is praying must cut off his voluntary prayer, whether it is a rawatib or the greeting of the mosque. He cuts it off and devotes himself to preparing to enter the obligatory prayer. He is not permitted to enter into a new prayer after the iqamah has been called; rather, he cuts off the prayer he is in and refrains from entering a new prayer, because the obligatory prayer is more important. This is the meaning of this authentic hadith, according to the most correct of the scholars’ opinions.
Some scholars said that he should complete it briefly and not cut it off, and they argue with his statement (peace and blessings be upon him) : [Muhammad:33].
However, the one who says he should cut it off, which is the correct opinion as mentioned earlier, responds to the noble verse by saying that it is general, whereas this case is specific, and the specific takes precedence over the general without contradicting it. This is a great principle known among the scholars, and its examples are numerous. It was also said that the intended meaning of the mentioned verse, which is the statement of the Exalted: , is the prohibition of nullifying it through apostasy, and this is not apostasy.
In any case, the verse is general, and cutting off the prayer one is in when the iqamah is called is a specific proof. The specific specifies the general without contradicting it and takes precedence over it. This is what we believe and what we issue as a ruling: if the one praying is in a voluntary prayer and the iqamah is called, he cuts it off and does not complete it, except if he is at the end of it, having already bowed the second bowing, or is in prostration, or is in the tashahhud. In that case, he completes it, because the minimum of the prayer is one rak'ah, and nothing remains except the minimum of it, so completing it does not contradict the mentioned hadith. This is the best course of action and does not contradict this authentic hadith.