Is it permissible to pray outside the Haram following the imam?

Question : The questioner asks: Is it permissible to pray outside the Haram following the imam of the Haram?

Answer : As for this issue, if a person is among those for whom congregational prayer is obligatory, it is not permissible for him to follow the imam of the mosque from outside the mosque. We use the term "mosque" so that the answer covers the case of someone in Makkah following the imam of al-Masjid al-Haram, or someone in a place other than Makkah. Therefore, if a person is among those for whom prayer is obligatory, he must attend the mosque and follow the imam. As for those who are not among those for whom congregational prayer is obligatory, such as women, for example, or a man who is unable to attend the mosque, the scholars have differed on this. Some hold that following the imam of the mosque from outside the mosque is not valid. They state that the Lawgiver has a purpose in gathering in a specific place and in specific actions, meaning that the followers should gather behind one imam in one place and perform the same actions. If a person is not in the mosque, it is not valid for him to follow the imam of the mosque. It is said to him: If you are not among those for whom it is obligatory, you should pray alone, and that is sufficient. Other scholars hold that if it is possible to follow the imam of the mosque from outside, there is no harm in following him, provided he is not in front of the imam's position. If he is in front of the imam's position, it is not valid for him to follow the imam, because it is a condition that the imam be ahead of the follower.