Is it permissible for anyone to leave the mosque after the adhan in order to pray in another mosque?
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The Shaykh : And at that point, a question usually arises here: Is it permissible for anyone to leave the mosque after the adhan when he has no pressing need, and the only thing is that he wants to pray in another mosque?
I spoke with some of the brothers just now as we were coming to this place, and the original ruling is that it is not permissible. However, sometimes incidental matters arise that necessitate some exception in this regard. I gave as an example the one who leaves a mosque after the adhan without a need, but only wants to pray in another mosque; this alone is not considered an excuse. This is different from the case of someone who attended a mosque to attend a lesson or knowledge from which he would benefit, and as soon as he heard the adhan, he went to the mosque where prayer is better than prayer in the mosque where he attended the lesson. I also gave as an example leaving one of the general mosques for the Prophet’s Mosque, where he had attended a lesson in one of the general mosques and gained benefit, so when the adhan was called for prayer, he left to gain the virtue of prayer in the Prophet’s Mosque. In this case and similar cases, it can be said that leaving is permissible, and this is the need to which the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) referred. He added to the need that one intends to return to it, and the intention behind this is that one does not miss the congregational prayer. So if one intends to pray in a mosque where prayer is better than in the mosque where he attended the lesson, then what is included in this severe warning—describing him as a hypocrite—is what we see regarding this matter, and Allah knows best.
I spoke with some of the brothers just now as we were coming to this place, and the original ruling is that it is not permissible. However, sometimes incidental matters arise that necessitate some exception in this regard. I gave as an example the one who leaves a mosque after the adhan without a need, but only wants to pray in another mosque; this alone is not considered an excuse. This is different from the case of someone who attended a mosque to attend a lesson or knowledge from which he would benefit, and as soon as he heard the adhan, he went to the mosque where prayer is better than prayer in the mosque where he attended the lesson. I also gave as an example leaving one of the general mosques for the Prophet’s Mosque, where he had attended a lesson in one of the general mosques and gained benefit, so when the adhan was called for prayer, he left to gain the virtue of prayer in the Prophet’s Mosque. In this case and similar cases, it can be said that leaving is permissible, and this is the need to which the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) referred. He added to the need that one intends to return to it, and the intention behind this is that one does not miss the congregational prayer. So if one intends to pray in a mosque where prayer is better than in the mosque where he attended the lesson, then what is included in this severe warning—describing him as a hypocrite—is what we see regarding this matter, and Allah knows best.