Ruling on Establishing a Second Congregational Prayer in the Mosque

Question: Is it permissible to establish a second congregational prayer in the mosque after the first congregation has finished, if some people arrive late and establish another congregation. What are the views of the Salaf and the scholars regarding this issue. Who said it is permissible, and who said it is not permissible. What is the strongest opinion in this matter.

Summary:

The basic principle is that it is not permissible to establish a second congregational prayer for an obligatory prayer in a mosque that has a regular imam and an established congregation, because this leads to splitting the congregation and contradicts the practice of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them. One situation is excluded, which is when one of the two men has already prayed the obligatory prayer, and he enters and prays with someone who has not prayed yet with the intention of a voluntary prayer. This is permissible.

Answer:

First: The Ruling on Establishing a Second Congregation After the First

The scholars differed on this issue into two well known views.

The First View: It Is Not Permissible, which is the View of the Majority of the Salaf

This is the view of many of the Companions and the Followers, and a group of scholars held this view.

First: Reports from the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them

1. The report of ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd, may Allah be pleased with him

    From the Salaf:

    • Ibrāhīm al Nakhaʿī, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
      ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd, when he entered the mosque and the prayer had already been prayed, he would pray alone and would not establish another congregation.

    From the Salaf:

    • Narrated by Ibn Abī Shaybah in al Muṣannaf.
      This is a clear action of a great Companion, despite the presence of the reason and the absence of any barrier. If a second congregation were legislated, he would have done it or ordered it.

    From the Salaf:

    • 2. The report of Anas ibn Mālik, may Allah be pleased with him
      Ibn Abī Shaybah narrated with an authentic chain from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, that when he missed the prayer with the congregation, he would pray alone and would not establish another congregation.

      This is the practice of a Companion who served the Prophet ﷺ, and he was among the most knowledgeable of people regarding his practical Sunnah.

    Second: Reports from the Followers 3. The statement of al Ḥasan al Baṣrī, may Allah have mercy on him

    From the Salaf:

    • Al Ḥasan al Baṣrī said:
      If a man enters the mosque and the prayer has already been prayed, he prays alone. Narrated by Ibn Abī Shaybah.

    4. The statement of Saʿīd ibn al Musayyib, may Allah have mercy on him

    From the Salaf:

    • Saʿīd ibn al Musayyib said:
      The prayer is not repeated twice in one mosque.

      He is one of the seven jurists of Madinah, and his statement carries great weight in Madinan practice.

    Third: Scholarly Reasoning Based on the Practice of the Salaf

    From the Salaf:

    • Imām Mālik, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
      I do not see that the prayer should be established twice in the mosque. He also said: This was not from the practice of the people who came before.

    This is a strong reasoning, as he tied the ruling to the practice of the Salaf, not mere opinion. They said that establishing a second congregation in a mosque that has a regular imam leads to splitting the congregation and weakens the objective of the Sharīʿah in gathering the Muslims behind one imam. They argued that this was not from the practice of the Companions despite many people entering the mosque after the prayer. If it were good, they would have preceded us in it. This view is the strongest.

    The Second View: Absolute Permissibility This is the view of some scholars. They used evidence regarding the virtue of congregational prayer, and the hadith:

    From the Sunnah:

    • Sunan Abi Dawud 574Narrated Sa'id al-Khudri:
      The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw a person praying alone. He said: Is there any man who may do good with this (man) and pray along with him.

      However, this evidence does not prove the permissibility of establishing a second obligatory congregation with another obligatory congregation, as will be clarified.

    Second: Clarifying the Strongest View The strongest view is that it is not permissible to establish a second congregation for an obligatory prayer with another obligatory prayer in a mosque that has a regular imam and where the congregation has already been established. It is permitted in one situation only, which is when it is not an obligatory prayer with another obligatory prayer.

    Third: The Relevant Scenarios The First Scenario, which is not Permissible That two or more men establish a second congregation for the obligatory prayer after the first congregation has finished, and all of them have not prayed the obligatory prayer. This is not permissible according to the strongest view, because it contradicts the practice of the Companions, it causes division of the congregation, and it was not known from the Salaf despite the presence of the reason and absence of any barrier.

    The Second Scenario, which is Permissible That one of the two men has already prayed the obligatory prayer, then enters the mosque and finds a man who has not prayed yet. He prays with him with the intention of a voluntary prayer, and the other prays with the intention of the obligatory prayer. This is permissible, and it is what the hadith, “Who will give charity to this one and pray with him,” indicates. Important clarification: This is not from the category of an obligatory prayer with another obligatory prayer. Rather, it is an obligatory prayer with a voluntary prayer, so it does not enter into the prohibition.

    It is not permissible to establish an obligatory prayer with another obligatory prayer after the first congregation in the mosque. It is permissible to pray a voluntary prayer with someone praying an obligatory prayer if one of them has already prayed. The strongest view is non permissibility, and this agrees with the practice of the Companions such as Ibn Masʿūd and Anas, may Allah be pleased with them. This is the relied upon view upon verification, and it is closest to the objectives of the Sharīʿah in uniting the Muslims and preventing division.

    And Allah knows best.

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