What is the ruling on one who goes to a farther mosque while a closer one exists, on the pretext of the good voice that makes him more humble?
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The questioner : Fine.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And based on this, if one goes to a farther mosque seeking the good voice that makes him more humble, and not seeking the greater reward of walking because it is farther, then there is no harm in it?
The Shaykh : Yes, but you brought in an addition. You said it is because it is more humble, whereas the question was about the good voice, not about humility.
Otherwise, I also mentioned in the same answer: if one intends another mosque because the prayer there is more complete, more perfect, and closer to the Sunnah, that is entirely different. The following that is prohibited is following for the greater reward of walking. I mentioned on this occasion the hadith of Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah al-Ansari, which is in *Sahih Muslim*, that the Ansar's houses were far from the mosque, so they intended to move closer to the mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). When that reached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he said: As for a person intentionally making his house far from the mosque because it is more difficult, that is what we deny. As for going far for prayer in a place that has spiritual and scholarly benefit, that is what we do personally, even before I was afflicted with a knee disease that prevented me from going down to the mosques most of the time. I had a habit of praying Fajr; we would go and pray Fajr every day in a place very far away. Why? Because the imam who prays in that mosque is one of our brothers from the people of the Sunnah, and his recitation is good. I would gather the brothers and put them in my car, so the car would be crowded. I had a car before this one, which they call a "sixty-two." What do you call it?
The questioner : A box.
The Shaykh : A box. So I would fill it or load it in the front and back, seeking this virtue. And in Fajr prayer, our house is in East Amman, so we go—excuse me—in Jumu'ah prayer, that is, in Fajr prayer, we go to West Amman to attend the prayer of one of our Salafi brothers, and his sermon contains knowledge. Perhaps you have heard of him, named Muhammad Shuqara, Abu Malik. Yes, that is right.
So my intention is that following for something other than what is prescribed is what is prohibited. As for anything else, setting out to seek knowledge in any place, even if it is far, as you know, does not fall under the generality of his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 326Sahih (Darussalam) So this is approximately like that.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And based on this, if one goes to a farther mosque seeking the good voice that makes him more humble, and not seeking the greater reward of walking because it is farther, then there is no harm in it?
The Shaykh : Yes, but you brought in an addition. You said it is because it is more humble, whereas the question was about the good voice, not about humility.
Otherwise, I also mentioned in the same answer: if one intends another mosque because the prayer there is more complete, more perfect, and closer to the Sunnah, that is entirely different. The following that is prohibited is following for the greater reward of walking. I mentioned on this occasion the hadith of Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah al-Ansari, which is in *Sahih Muslim*, that the Ansar's houses were far from the mosque, so they intended to move closer to the mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). When that reached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he said:
Your homes are recorded as your footprints
دياركم تكتب آثاركمThe questioner : A box.
The Shaykh : A box. So I would fill it or load it in the front and back, seeking this virtue. And in Fajr prayer, our house is in East Amman, so we go—excuse me—in Jumu'ah prayer, that is, in Fajr prayer, we go to West Amman to attend the prayer of one of our Salafi brothers, and his sermon contains knowledge. Perhaps you have heard of him, named Muhammad Shuqara, Abu Malik. Yes, that is right.
So my intention is that following for something other than what is prescribed is what is prohibited. As for anything else, setting out to seek knowledge in any place, even if it is far, as you know, does not fall under the generality of his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: