Ruling on Second Combination of Prayers in the same Mosque

Question: Is it permissible to combine the salaah (in jamaa’ah) after the appointed Imaam of the masjid has already combined the salaah?     

Answer:  The differences of opinion on this issue is based on the ruling regarding repeating salaatul-jamaa’ah (congregational prayer) in the same masjid. Therefore, those who are of the view that it is disliked to repeat congregational prayer in the same mosque disliked combining Salaah after the appointed Imaam has already combined the Salaah.  

Shaykh ‘Alee Al-Adawee established that it is disliked to combine Salaah after the appointed Imaam has done so, in his explanation of Mukhtasar Khaleel saying, “In summary, if a person finds that the people have already completed (that is, they have already combined the salaah), then it is not permissible for that person to combine neither by himself nor with another congregation headed by another Imaam, because this is a repetition of the Jamaa’ah after that of the appointed Imaam. However, if they (those who came after) combine, then they need not repeat their salaah.” 

Ad-Dusooqee stated in his Haashiyah ala Sharh al-Kabeer: “Know that if a person finds that the people have finished the Ishaa prayer, just as it is not permissible for him to combine alone, it is also not permissible for him to combine with another congregation in that same mosque due to what it contains of repeating a congregational prayer after the appointed Imaam. But if they combine their prayers, they are not required to repeat it.

Ahmad Ibn Yahyaa said, “I asked Shaykh Aboo ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Qaasim Al-Qarwee (rahimahullaah) about a congregation who combined the salaah after that of the appointed Imaam: Is their combining valid? He answered by stating, ‘Their combining is valid, there is no deficiency in it, nor are they obligated to repeat the salaah. Rather the most that can be said is that it is disliked based on the well-known opinion.’”

Source: Fiqh al-Jam’ bayna Salaatayn fil-Hadar bi ‘Udhr al-Matar, p. 237-238 by Shaykh Mashhoor Hasan