The Virtue of Prayer in the Mosques of Makkah

Question : He says: Is the prayer in all of Makkah equivalent to one hundred thousand prayers, or is it only in al-Masjid al-Haram? We ask you to provide the details.

Answer : This is also a matter on which scholars have differed. Some scholars say that the multiplication of reward in prayer is general for the entire Haram, meaning that anything within the boundaries of the Haram carries this reward. Others say that it is specific to the mosque that is the mosque of the Ka'bah. This is the stronger position; this is the stronger position, and the evidence is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), as narrated by Muslim in his Sahih: "A prayer in my mosque is this" . We all know that the mosque of the Ka'bah is the one we are in now. As for a mosque in al-Shi'b, a mosque in al-'Aziziyah, or the like, that is not the mosque of the Ka'bah. Is that clear?
Also, one does not travel for the sake of prayer except to three mosques: al-Masjid al-Haram. So, does one travel to a mosque in al-'Aziziyah, or to the mosque of Muzdalifah, or the like? No. And therefore, due to this great multiplication, it is permissible to travel to al-Masjid al-Haram, to al-Masjid al-Nabawi, and to al-Masjid al-Aqsa. But those who said that it is general cited evidence, and we and you are equal in investigating it. They said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stayed at al-Hudaybiyah in the permitted area (al-Hal), and whenever he wanted to pray, he would enter the Haram. This indicates the virtue of prayer in the Haram. We say: Yes, we accept this. We accept that prayer in the Haram is better than prayer in al-Hal. But the issue is what? It is the multiplication. So, it is specific to the mosque of the Ka'bah. They also said that Allah said: "Glory be to Him who took His servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa," and he was taken in the Isra from the house of Umm Hani'.
But we say that he was taken from the Hajar, the Hajar of the Ka'bah, not from the house of Umm Hani'. However, he was sleeping in the house of Umm Hani' first, then he came to al-Masjid al-Haram and slept in the Hajar, and Jibril came to him and took him in the Isra. This is the correct narration. They said that Allah said: and the polytheist does not enter the Haram, and Allah named the Haram a forbidden mosque. We say: No, we do not accept this, because Allah the Exalted says "do not approach the mosque" and did not say "do not enter." It is known that if a polytheist stands on the boundaries of the Haram, with only a hair's breadth between him and the Haram, is it permissible or not? It is permissible. So, "do not approach" means do not come to its boundaries, do not enter from the boundaries of the Haram. And what is meant by al-Masjid al-Haram is this. In any case, the issue is one of scholarly disagreement, and the matter is, if Allah wills, broad in this regard. But what I see from the perspective of evidence is that this is specific to the mosque in which the Ka'bah is, which the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) explicitly mentioned.
But it remains to be said: If people pray outside the boundaries of the mosque, we say that if the mosque is full and the rows are connected, the ruling is the same. But as for a person who prays outside the mosque while there is no one in the mosque, meaning there are still empty spaces, he has deprived himself of much good. The timekeeper indicates the end of the time and until tomorrow morning, if Allah wills, after the Fajr prayer in this place .