| Question |
| السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته In edmonton there is no true night for isha in this time of the year. So we are to estimate the time of isha and pray then. Even then it is too late for some to pray at that time, so they combine maghrib and isha due to hardship, but a person can not combine maghrib and isha if there is no hardship. Theres no hardship for me so i pray in the estimated time. So when the masjid combines prayer it didnt feel right for me to leave the congregation for isha because of the hadith of the 2 men who sat out for congregational prayer because they had already prayed at home and the prophet SAW told them to join the prayer regardless. Knowing this i combined prayer with the masjid. And then when the estimated time came for isha I prayed again. Was this correct? Answer: Wa Alaikum Assalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh, Jazak Allahu khayran for your thoughtful question. According to the Shafi’i school, it is not permissible to combine Maghrib and ‘Isha without a valid hardship. Therefore, in your case—since there was no hardship—you did the correct thing by praying ‘Isha again at the estimated time. The first prayer (prayed with the congregation) would count as Sunnah, and the second one (at the estimated time) would be your Fard prayer. However, according to the Maliki and Hanbali schools, it is permissible to combine Maghrib and ‘Isha during times of continuous twilight or difficulty in distinguishing prayer times, such as in northern regions during summer months. In these schools, if you combine ‘Isha with the congregation in the masjid, you do not need to repeat the prayer. If you choose to wait in the masjid until the estimated time and then pray ‘Isha at that time, you may consider the earlier prayer (combined with Maghrib) as a Sunnah, and the later one as your Fard, as per the Shafi’i view. May Allah accept your prayers and reward you for your diligence in following the Sunnah and seeking clarity. Wa Allahu A’lam. |