If one arrives at the mosque after the adhan and the regular congregational prayer has not yet begun, but finds a congregation that has already started before the regular prayer, is it permissible for him to pray with them, or must he wait?

The questioner : There is another question, which is that there is a group who arrived at the mosque in a hurry. Let me clarify the situation for you so that the picture is clear. In our school, the students pray in congregation inside the school, of course. The mosque is very close, but it appears that the administration prevents them from going there for certain reasons. Consequently, there is an Islamic education teacher who leads them in prayer inside the school. Yesterday, it was winter and raining, and there was no room for them to be inside the classroom.

The Shaykh : Yes, combining the prayers is not permissible.

The questioner : No, they do not want to combine the prayers.

The Shaykh : Combining the prayers is not permissible.

The questioner : Yes, but they want to combine the prayers. All the young men moved to the nearby mosque, the original mosque, yes, outside the school, which is close. And of course, the adhan has no mu'adhdhin; it takes one or two minutes, or perhaps a quarter of an hour, until the iqamah is called for the prayer, as is well known.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : So he went to pray with his young men and students so that they would catch the class. There were about fifty or sixty students, and so on. But here, of course, they stood in congregation, but the original residents of the neighborhood did not agree to pray with them. They remained sitting and waiting until the regular, well-known imam arrived, meaning until the original prayer was established.

The Shaykh : Do you mean that these students prayed before the official imam prayed?

The questioner : Yes, the teacher led them in prayer so that he could return with them to the school.

The Shaykh : It is not permissible.

The questioner : So their action is not permissible, is it?

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : Why?

The Shaykh : Because it is usurping the imam's role.

The questioner : As you say, they are forced to do so because of the winter, to return to the class, meaning.

The Shaykh : My brother, they always pray in the school. What took them out?

The questioner : I told you, it is so that they remain in the mosque to take advantage of this sudden time.

The Shaykh : Why is it that usually, when they arrive at the school, where do they pray?

The questioner : They pray, as you say, in the open, and even if there is a roof, the ground is hard... winter and mud. So there, he says, it is a special situation. My question is: suppose I am now coming to the mosque to pray, do I join these people?

The Shaykh : No, no.

The questioner : And I do not wait with the original congregation.

The Shaykh : You wait.

The questioner : This is the correct procedure.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner: All right.