What is the ruling if one enters the mosque and finds the imam calling the adhan? Should I pray or wait for the mu'adhdhin to finish?

The questioner : O Shaykh, if I enter the mosque and find the adhan being called, what should I do? Should I pray or wait to hear the adhan?

The Shaykh : I think you have completed your question just now. I wanted to say your question was incomplete, so I corrected it at the end.

The questioner : He corrected it, my brother, O Shaykh...

The Shaykh : Ah, may Allah reward you with good. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says: . If the question were asked in general terms, the answer would be completely different from the answer after it is specified. The answer in general terms is that one should wait until the adhan is completed.

The questioner : O Shaykh, is it permissible...

The Shaykh : Wait a moment, a moment...

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : In the mosque?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Yes, stay there. Did you take your things? Good?

The questioner : Yes, these are for the khatib.

The Shaykh : These are for the khatib, good.

The questioner : Shaykh, if you please.

The Shaykh : Please wait, everyone.

The questioner : The question is not finished, wait a moment.

The Shaykh : Please wait. If you enter the mosque and the adhan is being called on a day other than Friday, you should occupy yourself with responding to the adhan. Then, when you are finished with that, you send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and then you ask for the wasilah for him, according to the text found in "Sahih al-Bukhari": to the end of it. However, if you enter on Friday and the mu'adhdhin is calling the adhan and the khatib is on the minbar, you should not occupy yourself with that response. Rather, you should immediately proceed to the greeting of the mosque (Tahiyyat al-Masjid). Because if you occupy yourself with the response, you will then occupy yourself with the greeting prayer while the khatib is delivering the sermon, and you would have neglected the obligation of listening, paying attention, and hearing.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : Perhaps you understood?

The questioner : Praise be to Allah.