What is the authenticity of the hadith: “Do not follow the mosques; let each of you pray in the mosque nearest to him,” and what is its meaning?
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The questioner : The hadith, O Shaykh
المسجد الذي يليه
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : Correct.
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.
The questioner : And an explanation of the hadith
The Shaykh : Following the mosques is not valid with the intention of increasing the number of steps. That is, there is a mosque nearby and another mosque farther away, so he seeks out the distant mosques in order to increase the reward for the steps. This falls under a rule among the rules of the Shari'ah, which is that so if a Muslim finds worship facilitated through the nearest path, it is not permissible for him to burden himself with the difficult path on the claim that the reward is greater. And according to the rule that states “The reward is in proportion to the hardship”, this rule has a basis in the hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) when meaning, menstruation came to you
The story is well known, but the point is that its completion is on this occasion This hadith is the evidence for the aforementioned rule “The reward is in proportion to the hardship”. However, this rule is not absolute; that is, it is not permissible for a person to burden himself with hardship on the claim that the reward is in proportion to it. Rather, if hardship is imposed on him, then the reward is in proportion to the hardship. For example, our Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), as you know, performed Hajj riding on his camel, and he was able to perform Hajj on foot, for he was the strongest of men, as is well known from his biography (peace be upon him). But he was free from artificial difficulty, so he did not perform Hajj on foot, but rather performed Hajj riding.
So if we imagine a man who is able to perform Hajj on foot and is able to perform Hajj on a mount, but he prefers to perform Hajj on foot on the claim that the reward is in proportion to the hardship, that is not the case, because this man is able to perform Hajj riding. Therefore, it is not prescribed for a Muslim to burden himself with hardship. There are hadiths regarding this, among them.
Many hadiths indicate that it is not befitting for a Muslim to burden himself with hardship. But if hardship is imposed on him, then it is said “The reward is in proportion to the hardship”. Once we understand this rule, we return to that hadith: it is not befitting for a person to follow the mosques, but rather he should pray in the nearest mosque on the claim that the reward is greater, because this is a matter of artificial difficulty. However, if there is a mosque that has an advantage over the nearby mosque, whether because the imam is following the Sunnah, for example, or because his recitation is good, or because his preacher is a pious scholar, then he intends that distant mosque, not considering the hardship that befalls him, but rather considering the scholarly benefits he gains. This does not fall under the hadith, but rather falls under intentionally seeking reward through many steps. Many steps undoubtedly have virtue, but with the intention that it not be artificial or burdensome, as came in the authentic hadith “Stay in your homes, for your steps from your distant location are recorded, or are a cause for recording these steps and increasing the reward.” So without a doubt, every step, as is known in other hadiths, is a cause for recording good deeds, erasing bad deeds, and raising a degree. But beware of affectation, and beware of extremism in religion, for only those before you were destroyed by their extremism in their religion. This is the direction of the hadith you asked about.
The questioner : Does this include one who intentionally performs 'Umrah during the day of Ramadan, and he is able to perform it?
The Shaykh : Yes, without a doubt, all this artificial difficulty is prohibited.
Do not follow the mosques; let each of you pray in the mosque nearest to him
لا تتبعوا المساجد فليصل أحدكم فيالمسجد الذي يليه
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : Correct.
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.
The questioner : And an explanation of the hadith
The Shaykh : Following the mosques is not valid with the intention of increasing the number of steps. That is, there is a mosque nearby and another mosque farther away, so he seeks out the distant mosques in order to increase the reward for the steps. This falls under a rule among the rules of the Shari'ah, which is that
My Ummah is free from artificial difficulty
أمتي براء من التكلفShe performed 'Umrah with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for the 'Umrah of Hajj. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stopped near Mecca in a place called Saraf and entered upon her, he found her crying. He said to her, “Have you menstruated?”
حجت مع النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم معتمرة عمرة الحج فلما نزل النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قريبا من مكة في مكان اسمه سرف ودخل عليها فوجدها تبكي قال لها أنفستShe said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He said, “This is a matter Allah has decreed for the daughters of Adam. Do what the pilgrim does, except do not perform tawaf and do not pray.”
قالت نعم يا رسول الله قال هذا أمر كتبه الله على بنات آدم فاصنع ما يصنع الحاج غير ألا تطوفي ولا تصليThe story is well known, but the point is that its completion is
That the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), after he had performed the tawaf of Ifadah and the tawaf of Farewell and announced his return to Madinah, also entered upon Aisha and found her crying. He said to her, “What is the matter with you?” She said, “The people are returning with Hajj and 'Umrah, and I am returning with Hajj without 'Umrah.” So he ordered her brother, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr al-Siddiq, to take her out and ride her behind him to al-Tan'īm, and she would perform 'Umrah from there. And he said to her
أن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله سلم بعد أن طاف طواف الإفاضة وطواف الوداع وأعلن العودة إلى المدينة دخل أيضا على عائشة فوجدها تبكي قال لها ما لك قالت ما لي يعود الناس بحج وعمرة وأعود بحج دون عمرة فأمر أخاها عبدالرحمن بن أبي بكر الصديق أن يخرج بها يردفها خلفه إلى التنعيم وتأتي بالعمرة من هناك وقال لهاYour reward is only according to your effort.
إنما أجرك على قدر نصبكSo if we imagine a man who is able to perform Hajj on foot and is able to perform Hajj on a mount, but he prefers to perform Hajj on foot on the claim that the reward is in proportion to the hardship, that is not the case, because this man is able to perform Hajj riding. Therefore, it is not prescribed for a Muslim to burden himself with hardship. There are hadiths regarding this, among them
That the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw a woman, or a man who had been taken by a rope and was being led like a beast while he was performing tawaf. So he ordered that this rope be cut, and he said, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, “Allah is free from needing to punish this person.”
أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم رأى امرأة وقد أو رجلا قد أخذ به وهو يساق كالدابة وهو يطوف فأمر أن يقطع هذا الزمام وأن يقول عليه الصلاة والسلام إن الله غني عن أن يعذب هذا نفسهMany hadiths indicate that it is not befitting for a Muslim to burden himself with hardship. But if hardship is imposed on him, then it is said “The reward is in proportion to the hardship”. Once we understand this rule, we return to that hadith: it is not befitting for a person to follow the mosques, but rather he should pray in the nearest mosque on the claim that the reward is greater, because this is a matter of artificial difficulty. However, if there is a mosque that has an advantage over the nearby mosque, whether because the imam is following the Sunnah, for example, or because his recitation is good, or because his preacher is a pious scholar, then he intends that distant mosque, not considering the hardship that befalls him, but rather considering the scholarly benefits he gains. This does not fall under the hadith, but rather falls under intentionally seeking reward through many steps. Many steps undoubtedly have virtue, but with the intention that it not be artificial or burdensome, as came in the authentic hadith
That the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was informed that the Ansar wanted to move their houses closer to the Prophet’s Mosque and pitch their tents next to the Prophet’s Mosque (peace be upon him). So he said, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, “Your homes record your footprints.”
أن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم بلغه أن الأنصار يريدون أن ينتقلوا بدورهم قريبا من المسجد النبوي وأن يضربوا خيامهم بجوار مسجد النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال عليه الصلاة والسلام دياركم تكتب آثاركمThe questioner : Does this include one who intentionally performs 'Umrah during the day of Ramadan, and he is able to perform it?
The Shaykh : Yes, without a doubt, all this artificial difficulty is prohibited.