What is the ruling of the Shari'ah regarding the multiplication of mosques in a single neighborhood, which leads to a decrease in the number of worshippers?
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The questioner : What is the ruling of the Shari'ah, O honorable Shaykh, regarding the multiplication of congregational mosques in a single neighborhood, which leads to a decrease in the number of worshippers in these mosques?
The Shaykh : What we see is that it is not permissible to establish the Friday prayer in more than one mosque unless there is a need for it, such as the distance of the town, the narrowness of the mosque, the fear of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), or something similar to that. The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) have explicitly stated this, and specifically the Hanbali jurists, because multiplying the Friday prayer without need is contrary to the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not have more than one Friday prayer during his time. In fact, the multiplication of the Friday prayer did not occur until the third century of the Hijrah, as some of the scholars mentioned. And because multiplying the Friday prayer without need leads to the loss of its distinctiveness over other prayers. The Friday prayer, as its name indicates, requires gathering. If it is distributed among the mosques, there will be no difference between it and other prayers. Thus, this multiplication causes the objective of the Friday prayer to be lost, which is the gathering of the people under one imam and their unity. One of the harms of multiplication is that it opens the door for the lazy, because it is the norm that the Friday prayer does not coincide in the beginning and end of the prayer. So perhaps this becomes an excuse for the lazy one to delay the Friday prayer. And when it is said: Why? He says: Because I prayed in another mosque.
And because this leads to the division of the Muslims and their distribution on their festival day, the festival of the week. This contradicts what the Shari'ah requires of unity and gathering. The ones addressed in this matter are the rulers, who have authority over the mosques. As for the general people, there is no blame on them if they pray in one of these congregational mosques.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : What we see is that it is not permissible to establish the Friday prayer in more than one mosque unless there is a need for it, such as the distance of the town, the narrowness of the mosque, the fear of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), or something similar to that. The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) have explicitly stated this, and specifically the Hanbali jurists, because multiplying the Friday prayer without need is contrary to the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not have more than one Friday prayer during his time. In fact, the multiplication of the Friday prayer did not occur until the third century of the Hijrah, as some of the scholars mentioned. And because multiplying the Friday prayer without need leads to the loss of its distinctiveness over other prayers. The Friday prayer, as its name indicates, requires gathering. If it is distributed among the mosques, there will be no difference between it and other prayers. Thus, this multiplication causes the objective of the Friday prayer to be lost, which is the gathering of the people under one imam and their unity. One of the harms of multiplication is that it opens the door for the lazy, because it is the norm that the Friday prayer does not coincide in the beginning and end of the prayer. So perhaps this becomes an excuse for the lazy one to delay the Friday prayer. And when it is said: Why? He says: Because I prayed in another mosque.
And because this leads to the division of the Muslims and their distribution on their festival day, the festival of the week. This contradicts what the Shari'ah requires of unity and gathering. The ones addressed in this matter are the rulers, who have authority over the mosques. As for the general people, there is no blame on them if they pray in one of these congregational mosques.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.