SECTION ON PRAYER · 68 – Leading a prayer that has already been performed to another congregation
Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Ma'az ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) would pray the Isha prayer with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him), then he would go to his tribe and lead them in the same Isha prayer.
EXPLANATION:
The Isha prayer that Ma’az (may Allah be pleased with him) prayed with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) was the obligatory (fard) prayer. Then, the prayer he led for his tribe became a supererogatory (nafl) prayer. The people of his tribe would follow Ma'az (may Allah be pleased with him) who performed the supererogatory prayer while they were performing the obligatory one. Is it permissible for those performing the obligatory to follow one performing the supererogatory? According to Imam al-Awwal (Abu Hanifa), one performing the obligatory cannot follow one performing the supererogatory. The view of Imam Malik is also like this. According to Shafi'i and Ahmad ibn Hanbal, those performing the obligatory can follow one performing the supererogatory.
(Bezl al-Majhud, vol. 4, p. 221)
Amr ibn Dinār, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that he heard Jabir ibn Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, say: Muāz, may Allah be pleased with him, would pray with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and then turn to lead his tribe (in prayer) in the same prayer.