We request clarification of the rulings regarding a traveler praying in congregation in one of the mosques he passes by on his journey.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : ... Here, regarding the issue of travel, Shaykh, suppose a person enters a specific mosque while traveling and finds a congregation praying in a nearby mosque. He assumed that the imam leading them was a regular, resident imam, so he completed the prayer with him, intending to pray four rak'ahs, let us say 'Asr. But the imam prayed only two rak'ahs, said the taslim, and told them to complete the prayer, saying, "We are travelers." What should this ma'mum do? He intended four rak'ahs on the assumption that he was following a resident imam, but then it became clear to him that the imam was a traveler. What should he do?
The Shaykh : And he is a traveler?
The questioner : Yes, both of them are travelers.
The Shaykh : He says the taslim with the imam; he says the taslim with the imam because...
The questioner : Even if the intention differs?
The Shaykh : Because the imam is the one who justified his intention.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : It was a mistake.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, he returns to the correct ruling.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And beware of that.
The Shaykh : And he is a traveler?
The questioner : Yes, both of them are travelers.
The Shaykh : He says the taslim with the imam; he says the taslim with the imam because...
The questioner : Even if the intention differs?
The Shaykh : Because the imam is the one who justified his intention.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : It was a mistake.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, he returns to the correct ruling.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And beware of that.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.