Regarding the topic of the obligation of congregational prayer for one who hears the adhan, is there a connection between hearing the adhan and attending the congregation, or not?

The questioner : If you would allow me, regarding the topic of the obligation of congregational prayer for one who hears the adhan, is there a connection between hearing the adhan and whether one attends the congregation or not?

The Shaykh : How do you mean, if one attends the congregation?

The questioner : I mean, if one did not hear the adhan, and considering the interval now in some mosques, which can be up to a quarter of an hour, one might reach this mosque within that quarter of an hour between the adhan and the iqamah.

The Shaykh : The time interval has no value. For example, a mosque at the end of the line takes much less time than one on winding roads, so that is not considered. The important thing is that when he hears the adhan and prepares for prayer, he is supposed to hasten to respond to the mu'adhdhin wherever he is. However, if he is in a place where he knows that if he does not prepare beforehand, he must prepare before hearing the adhan, because he knows that the time will catch up with him, he should do his best so that he does not miss it—Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar—so that he does not miss the congregational prayer. He should do his best.

The questioner : Yes, this is if he hears it.

The Shaykh : Of course, if he hears it.

The questioner : But if he does not hear it, yet there is an estimated time interval, and he does not hear it, but if he starts walking to the mosque, he arrives and they finish the congregation, does he remain under the ruling of hearing the adhan in this case?

The Shaykh : If it is most likely in his opinion that he will not attend, and he was surprised by this situation, and he had not previously been reminded of the necessity of preparing so that when he goes, he does not miss the congregational prayer, then if he was surprised by it and it is most likely in his opinion that he will not attend the congregational prayer, there is no sin on him. But I want to ask you now: are you talking about a situation that might happen once, or one that repeats every time?

The questioner : It repeats.

The Shaykh : If it repeats, he should already know whether it will be missed or not.

The questioner : Yes, he remains aware, yes.

The Shaykh : Okay, so if he is aware and remembers that the time is near, he must prepare so that he attends the prayer. But if he was surprised, there is no sin on him if it is most likely in his opinion that he will not attend. The matter is practical; the believer's heart is his evidence, so he is careful to perform the prayer with the congregation and does everything possible to attend it. If it happens once and he did not delay, but the congregation prayed, then he should take every means so that he does not miss the congregational prayer. And when I say every means, I mean some means may concern him, and some means may concern the imam. For example, he advises that the imam delay slightly from the time so that he can attend the prayer. If the imam responds, that is good; otherwise, he must do his best.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

The questioner : After the second adhan for Fajr, is it always twenty minutes, or does the time change?

The Shaykh : If I were with you, I could give you the answer, because this depends on looking at the sun when it sets: does it set on the horizon, a straight horizontal line, or a curved horizontal line? Ask your father, who is from your town.