Islam Question and Answer - While praying sunnah prayer in mosque iqamah is called

Sat 4/12/1430 - 21/11/2009

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Principles of Fiqh » Jurisprudence and Islamic Rulings » Acts of Worship » Prayer » Voluntary Prayers

While praying sunnah prayer in mosque iqamah is called

What should one do if one is praying the sunnah prayer in the mosque and the iqamah is called?

If a person enters the mosque and is praying the sunnah while the iqamah is called, then the best opinion in this case is that if he is in his second rak‘ah, he should shorten it, and if he is in the first rak‘ah, he should just break his prayer and enter the congregation with the Imam1. The evidence for this comes from what Imam Muslim has narrated in his Sahih:

Prophet (peace be upon him) said: If iqamah is called for the prayer then there is no prayer except the obligatory one.

(Sahih Muslim, 1/493)

So, if one has performed the ruku‘ for the second rak‘ah, then he should complete the prayer, and if not, then he should discontinue because what is left from his sujud and tashahhud is not needed any more. Moreover, he should break without salaam, and it is enough to have the intention in the heart, contrary to common misconception.

Fatawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 1/345