Praying in a distant mosque and leaving the congregation in the nearby one

Question:
What is the ruling on a person who hears the adhan and the iqamah, and hears them praying, but does not go to pray with them, and then goes and prays in one of the mosques that is delayed in time and has many congregations?

Answer:
It is better to pray in the nearby mosque so that he keeps it active, and so that the imam, the mu'adhdhin, and the people of the mosque see him and do not form a bad opinion of him. He should not fail to pray in the nearby mosque or be lazy about it. It is better for them to hasten to do this. Praying at its proper time is better, so he should not deprive himself of this virtue. According to the question, he does not go to the other mosques to increase his reward, but rather because they are delayed, and he does not want to hasten. This is a mistake on his part.