What is the distance at which a mosque is considered far enough away that the obligation of congregational prayer is lifted?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : The distance of the mosque that makes congregational prayer obligatory, meaning if a person is far from the mosque, what is the distance that obligates him to attend the congregation?
The Shaykh : The distance is an estimate, and it is this: if a person is in a place where he can hear the natural adhan that is not connected to amplifying devices or sound-extending equipment, then whoever is at this distance from the mosque must attend the mosque. If he does not do so, he is sinful, and if he persists in that, he is characterized by one of the characteristics of the hypocrites. As for if the mosque is farther than that, it is recommended for him to pray as well, as a recommendation and not an obligation. Is that clear?
The questioner : Is that clear?
The Shaykh : The distance is an estimate, and it is this: if a person is in a place where he can hear the natural adhan that is not connected to amplifying devices or sound-extending equipment, then whoever is at this distance from the mosque must attend the mosque. If he does not do so, he is sinful, and if he persists in that, he is characterized by one of the characteristics of the hypocrites. As for if the mosque is farther than that, it is recommended for him to pray as well, as a recommendation and not an obligation. Is that clear?
The questioner : Is that clear?
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.