❀ Changing Intention During Salah and the Ruling Regarding Maghrib & Isha ❀
❖ Question:
A person arrives at the mosque intending to offer Maghrib prayer, but the Isha congregation is in progress. Mistaking it for Maghrib, he joins the prayer. Upon realizing during the prayer that it is Isha, can he change his intention?
Also, if he already knows before entering the mosque that the Isha prayer is being offered, should he make intention for Isha or Maghrib?
❖ Answer by:
Shaykh Saeed Mujtaba Saeedi ḥafiẓahullāh
Shaykh Abdul Wakeel Nasir ḥafiẓahullāh
✦ Case ①: Joining Isha Congregation with Maghrib Intention
If a person joins the Isha congregation mistakenly with the intention of Maghrib, and later realizes during prayer that it is actually Isha,
he may change his intention to Isha.
✔ Principle Regarding Change of Intention:
A person has authority over his own intention, and it is permissible to change the intention during Salah.
According to Ibn Hazm, Sajdah al-Sahw (prostration of forgetfulness) becomes obligatory in this case,
but according to the majority of scholars, it is not required.
✔ Completion of the Prayer:
After changing the intention, he should complete the Isha prayer with the Imam.
Then later, he should perform the Maghrib prayer separately.
✦ Case ②: Knowing Beforehand That the Isha Prayer is in Progress
If the person already knows before entering the mosque that the Isha congregation is underway,
then he should join with the intention of Isha, not Maghrib.
After completing Isha with the congregation, he should offer Maghrib prayer separately.
✔ Ruling on Offering a Different Prayer in Congregation:
It is not permissible to offer a different prayer individually while a congregational prayer is ongoing.
There is no objection in offering Isha before Maghrib in this particular case.
Such a reversal in order (taqdeem wa ta’kheer) is permissible in Sharī‘ah.
❖ Summary:
🔹 In the first case:
Change the intention to Isha and complete it with the Imam. Later, perform Maghrib separately.
🔹 In the second case:
Join the congregation with the intention of Isha and offer Maghrib afterwards.
