One who prays and then remembers afterward that he was not in a state of ritual purity
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Question:
O Shaykh, may Allah forgive you, I prayed Maghrib, and I was in a car with about a quarter of a sa' of water with me, and the time for Maghrib came upon us, so I told them to stop so we could pray. We stopped and prayed, and I prayed. After I had prayed, I remembered that I was not in a state of wudu. After I returned home, I performed wudu and prayed. Then some people told me: Do not pray until Maghrib comes upon you, and then pray. I disobeyed them and prayed, and I offered Maghrib?
Answer:
You did well, and they were wrong. Whoever told you that you should not pray Maghrib except in the next Maghrib, and that there is a prayer between the two times, is mistaken. If you prayed with the people, and then it became clear to you... you repeat it immediately. You perform wudu and repeat it immediately. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This is obligatory, and Allah said: [Taha:14].
So the conclusion: When a person prays while in a state of ritual impurity, and then he becomes aware of it; he should hasten to pray. He performs wudu and hastens, or if he wakes up and the time has passed, he hastens, then he prays, and he does not delay or postpone it.
But for travelers, if the time for Maghrib arrives and they are in a car traveling, it is better that they do not stop. It is better that they delay Maghrib with 'Isha; this is the best. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he set out before the entry of Maghrib, would delay Maghrib with 'Isha. And when he set out before the sun reached its zenith, he would delay Zuhr with 'Asr, combining it with 'Asr.
And likewise, if a person sets out from his place in a car, or on a mount, before sunset, he delays the Maghrib prayer. They do not stop and pray Maghrib; no, he delays it with 'Isha. This is the Sunnah.
O Shaykh, may Allah forgive you, I prayed Maghrib, and I was in a car with about a quarter of a sa' of water with me, and the time for Maghrib came upon us, so I told them to stop so we could pray. We stopped and prayed, and I prayed. After I had prayed, I remembered that I was not in a state of wudu. After I returned home, I performed wudu and prayed. Then some people told me: Do not pray until Maghrib comes upon you, and then pray. I disobeyed them and prayed, and I offered Maghrib?
Answer:
You did well, and they were wrong. Whoever told you that you should not pray Maghrib except in the next Maghrib, and that there is a prayer between the two times, is mistaken. If you prayed with the people, and then it became clear to you... you repeat it immediately. You perform wudu and repeat it immediately. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Whoever sleeps through a prayer or forgets it, let him pray it when he remembers it. There is no expiation for it other than that.
من نام عن الصلاة، أو نسيها فليصلها إذا ذكرها، لا كفارة لها إلا ذلكAnd establish prayer for My remembrance
وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِذِكْرِيSo the conclusion: When a person prays while in a state of ritual impurity, and then he becomes aware of it; he should hasten to pray. He performs wudu and hastens, or if he wakes up and the time has passed, he hastens, then he prays, and he does not delay or postpone it.
But for travelers, if the time for Maghrib arrives and they are in a car traveling, it is better that they do not stop. It is better that they delay Maghrib with 'Isha; this is the best. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he set out before the entry of Maghrib, would delay Maghrib with 'Isha. And when he set out before the sun reached its zenith, he would delay Zuhr with 'Asr, combining it with 'Asr.
And likewise, if a person sets out from his place in a car, or on a mount, before sunset, he delays the Maghrib prayer. They do not stop and pray Maghrib; no, he delays it with 'Isha. This is the Sunnah.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.