Ruling on delaying the prayer from its time due to being occupied with watching matches

The first message received was from the sender Sulayman from al-Madinah al-Munawwarah. He says in his message: We spend the time from Maghrib until 'Isha' sitting in front of the television watching the match, and sometimes listening to it on the radio. We pray, but only after the time for 'Isha' has ended. Should we perform Maghrib before 'Isha', or 'Isha' before Maghrib? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
Answer: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance.
As for what follows: It is obligatory for every Muslim to prioritize the right of Allah over his own desires, and over his watching of matches and other things. Prayer is the right of Allah, and it is obligatory for the Muslim at all times, and among its obligations is that it be performed in congregation.
Therefore, it is obligatory for the one who is watching the match, and for anyone else, to leave what he is doing when the time for prayer arrives, and to hasten and rush to perform it with his brothers in congregation. He has no excuse to leave the congregation and pray at home after the congregation has ended, and after he has finished his immediate pleasure with the match. This is a great error and a major evil, so one must beware of it.
Therefore, it is obligatory for Muslims to be concerned with the matter of their religion before anything else. Prayer is the greatest of the pillars and the most important of the pillars after the two testimonies. And the Lord (Glorified and Exalted is He) said regarding it: : [al-Baqarah:238] And He said, Exalted is He: [al-Nisa:103] And He said: [al-Baqarah:43] meaning: Pray with those who are praying.
And He said, Exalted is He: [al-Nisa:102] the verse. So He did not excuse them, Exalted is He, despite the fear and despite the fighting; He did not excuse them from leaving the congregation and leaving the prayer with the Muslims. Rather, He commanded them to divide into two groups: one group prays with him, with the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), then they leave, and then the other group comes and prays with him the rest of the prayer, so that they all have prayed in congregation despite the fear and facing the enemy. So how much more so is the case in times of safety and comfort.
The point is that it is obligatory for the believer to prioritize the right of Allah, and to care for this great prayer, and to perform it with his brothers in the houses of Allah, the mosques, and to beware of preferring a match or other things over that. And he said, peace and blessings be upon him: He said to 'Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum when he asked him about the congregational prayer, and he said: And in another wording, he said: If he does not find a dispensation for the blind man who has no guide suitable for him, how much more so is the case for others?
Then, being negligent in performing it in congregation is a means to abandoning it entirely, and a means to becoming lax with it until it is not performed except at the last moment of the time. So it is obligatory for the believer to beware of that, and to pray with his brothers in the mosques of Allah, and to hasten to do so, and not to imitate the hypocrites. The hypocrite is the one who is lax with it and does not care about performing it in congregation. So it is not permissible for the Muslim to imitate the hypocrites. 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said regarding the congregation: : .
So all Muslims must fear Allah, and magnify what Allah has magnified, and among that is the matter of prayer, for it is the pillar of Islam and the greatest of the obligations and the most important of the obligations after the two testimonies. So it is obligatory for every Muslim man and woman to preserve it in its times, and not to prefer a match or other things over that. And the man must pray it in congregation in the mosques with the people, with the Muslims, always, except if illness prevents him. And Allah is the guarantor of success. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah bless you and reward you with good.