The ruling on praying at home while hearing the call to prayer
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Question:
This questioner says: Honorable Shaykh, I live in an apartment about three kilometers from the mosque. If I pray in the apartment, am I sinful for doing so or not?
Answer:
The determining factor in this is what came in the authentic hadith from him (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding hearing the call to prayer. If you hear the call to prayer, it is obligatory for you to attend. His statement (peace and blessings be upon him) is:Mishkat al-Masabih 1077 Sunan Ibn Majah 793Sahih (Darussalam). And he said to the blind man who came to him seeking a ruling, asking for a dispensation to pray in his home because difficulties stood between him and the mosque: “Do you hear the call to prayer?” He said, “Yes.” He said, “Then respond to Allah, Mighty and Majestic.” He says: [Al-Ahqaf 46:32] This is a warning. And He the Exalted said: [Al-Qalam 68:43] meaning in this world.
Do not pray in your apartment or in your home while you hear the call to prayer and the mosque is near you, reachable by walking, and you can reach it on your way there. This walking is among your good deeds; your steps are recorded with Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He.[Ya-Sin 36:12] meaning their walking to the mosques. That is because a group, or rather, a group said to them: The Banu Salim from the Ansar had their homes far from the mosque of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), so they intended to move from there and get closer to the mosque. When that reached the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), he said: “O Banu Salim, your homes record your footprints,” meaning stay in your homes, even if they are far from the mosque, for Allah, Mighty and Majestic, will record for you the footprints you walk.
And there was a man in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who was far from the mosque, and he never missed an obligatory prayer with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). It was said to him: “Why don’t you buy a donkey to ride on to avoid the scorching heat?” He said: “I would not be pleased to do that, for I want my steps and my walking to the mosque to be recorded.” So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: “Allah has combined all of that for you.” So a person should not belittle walking to the mosque, even if it is far, for his distance from the mosque is an increase in good and an increase in deeds for him. Yes.
There was a man in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who lived far from the mosque and never missed a prayer with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). It was said to him, "Why don't you buy a donkey to ride so you don't have to walk in the scorching heat?" He replied, "I would not be pleased to do that, for I want my steps and my walk to the mosque to be recorded for me." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him, "Allah has combined all of that for you." So a person should not belittle walking to the mosque, even if it is far away, for his distance from the mosque is an increase in good and an increase in deeds for him. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you
This questioner says: Honorable Shaykh, I live in an apartment about three kilometers from the mosque. If I pray in the apartment, am I sinful for doing so or not?
Answer:
The determining factor in this is what came in the authentic hadith from him (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding hearing the call to prayer. If you hear the call to prayer, it is obligatory for you to attend. His statement (peace and blessings be upon him) is:
If anyone hears the summons and does not respond to it
من سمع النداء فلم يجبhis prayer is not valid, except for those who have an excuse.
فلا صلاة له إلا من عذرBut he who does not respond to the Caller of Allah will not cause failure [to Him] upon earth
وَمَن لَّا يُجِبْ دَاعِيَ اللَّهِ فَلَيْسَ بِمُعْجِزٍ فِي الْأَرْضِAnd they used to be invited to prostration while they were sound.
وَقَدْ كَانُوا يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَالِمُونَDo not pray in your apartment or in your home while you hear the call to prayer and the mosque is near you, reachable by walking, and you can reach it on your way there. This walking is among your good deeds; your steps are recorded with Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He.
Indeed, it is We who bring the dead to life and record what they have put forth and what they left behind
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ وَنَكْتُبُ مَا قَدَّمُوا وَآثَارَهُمْAnd there was a man in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who was far from the mosque, and he never missed an obligatory prayer with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). It was said to him: “Why don’t you buy a donkey to ride on to avoid the scorching heat?” He said: “I would not be pleased to do that, for I want my steps and my walking to the mosque to be recorded.” So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: “Allah has combined all of that for you.” So a person should not belittle walking to the mosque, even if it is far, for his distance from the mosque is an increase in good and an increase in deeds for him. Yes.
There was a man in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who lived far from the mosque and never missed a prayer with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). It was said to him, "Why don't you buy a donkey to ride so you don't have to walk in the scorching heat?" He replied, "I would not be pleased to do that, for I want my steps and my walk to the mosque to be recorded for me." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him, "Allah has combined all of that for you." So a person should not belittle walking to the mosque, even if it is far away, for his distance from the mosque is an increase in good and an increase in deeds for him. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you
Source
75-اللقاء الأسبوعي مع الشيخ صالح الفوزان - 28 — archive.org (2:02)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.