#isha prayer

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:

We notice that in some mosques, those who come after the end of ‘Isha’ prayer and the beginning of Taraweeh offer a second [‘Isha’] prayer, but by doing so they disturb those who are praying Taraweeh. Is it better for them to offer the prayer in jamaa‘ah, or to join the imam in Taraweeh prayer, with the intention of ‘Isha’? Is the ruling different if it is one person or a group that comes in? 

He replied:

If those who come in are two or more, then it is better for them to offer the prayer on their own – i.e., ‘Isha’ prayer – then to join the people in Taraweeh. But if they join the imam with the intention of praying ‘Isha’, then when the imam says the tasleem, each of them gets up and completes the prayer by himself, there is nothing wrong with that, because it was proven from Mu‘aadh (may Allah be pleased with him) that he used to pray the obligatory prayer of ‘Isha’ with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then he would go back to his people and lead them in offering that prayer; for him it was naafil but for them it was obligatory. But if only one person comes in, then it is better for him to join the imam with the intention of ‘Isha’, so that he will attain the virtue of praying in jamaa‘ah. Then when the imam says the tasleem following two rak‘ahs, he should complete ‘Isha’ by himself. 

May Allah help us all to understand Islam properly. 

Mishary Rashid Alafasy