Liaison office of Grand Ayatullah Sayyid Ali Al Sistani (L.M.H.L) in London, Europe, North and South America.
763. One should always offer Asr prayers after the Zuhr prayers, and
the Isha prayers after the Maghrib prayers. If one intentionally offers Asr
prayers before Zuhr prayers, or Isha prayers before Maghrib prayers, one's
prayers would be void.
764. If a person starts namaz with the niyyat of Zuhr prayers, and
during the prayers he recollects that he has already offered Zuhr prayers, he
is not allowed to change the niyyat to the Asr prayers.He should abandon that
namaz, and start Asr namaz. And the same rule applies to the Maghrib and the
Isha namaz.
765. If a person somehow becomes sure while offering the Asr prayers
that he has not offered the Zuhr prayers, and changes niyyat to the Zuhr
prayers, but later he recollects that he has infact already offered the Zuhr
prayers, he can again revert to Asr, and complete the prayers, provided that
he has not performed important parts like Ruku', Sajdah or any other part with
the niyyat of Zuhr, otherwise his prayers will be void, and he has to offer
all over again.
766. If, while offering the Asr prayers, a man doubts whether he has
offered the Zuhr prayers, he should complete his namaz with the same niyyat of
Asr, and then pray Zuhr. However, if the time is so short, that that the sun
would set by the time he finishes the prayers, and there would be no time left
even for one Rak'at, then it is not necessary to pray Zuhr namaz as Qadha.
767. If, while offering the Isha prayers, a man doubts whether he has
offered Maghrib prayers, he should complete the namaz with the same niyyat of
Isha. But if the time is short, and he will not be able to perform even one
Rak'at after completion of Isha, it is not necessary to pray Maghrib as Qadha.
768. If while offering Isha prayers, a person doubts after reaching
the Ruku of the 4th Rak'at, whether he has offered Maghrib prayers, he should
complete the Isha Prayers. Thereafter, he should pray Maghrib, if the time for
it is still available (i.e. if it is not Qadha).
769. If a person is praying a particular namaz again as a precaution,
and during the prayers he recollects that he has not offered the preceding
namaz, he cannot change niyyat to that prayers. For example, when offering the
Asr prayers again as a measure of precaution, he recollects that he has not
offered the Zuhr prayers, he cannot change niyyat to Zuhr prayers.
770. It is not permissible to change niyyat from Qadha to Ada (i.e.
prayers which is offered within the prescribed time), nor from Mustahab to
obligatory prayers.
771. If a person has sufficient time at his disposal to offer prayers
within the time, he can, while offering the prayers, change niyyat to Qadha
prayers, provided that it is possible to do so. For example, if he is offering
Zuhr prayers, he can change to Qadha of dawn prayers, only when he has not
entered the Ruku of the third Rak'at.