He says, “O honorable Shaykh, if a Muslim travels a distance that permits shortening the prayer and arrives in a country other than his place of residence, and he wants to shorten the prayer there, is that permissible for him, or is he obligated to attend the congregation in the mosque in that country?”
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The questioner : He says, “O honorable Shaykh, if a Muslim travels a distance that permits shortening the prayer and arrives in a country other than his place of residence, and he wants to shorten the prayer there, is that permissible for him, or is he obligated to attend the congregation in the mosque in that country? Please inform us, may Allah guide you.”
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. He is obligated to attend the congregation in the mosque, because the evidence regarding the obligation of attending the congregation is general and contains no specification. If that is the case, then it is obligatory to adhere to the generality.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) argued for the generality with what is reported of his phrasing when he was asked about donkeys, and he said (peace and blessings be upon him):.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And it is His saying, the Exalted:[Az-Zalzalah 99:7] [Az-Zalzalah 99:8] So the generality encompasses all its individuals.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The traveler is a believer, so it is obligatory for him to attend Friday prayer and attend the congregation as long as he is in a country where Friday prayer and the congregation are held.
The questioner : Okay, how does he shorten the prayer while he attends with the congregation?
The Shaykh : He shortens the prayer if he misses the prayer, or if he is in a place far from the mosques where it is difficult for him to attend, and he fears that if he leaves his lodging, from his lodging, that... someone might harm him, or something similar to that which excuses him from attending the congregation. But without an excuse, it is obligatory for him to attend the congregation.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : This is a message that came from the sender from the Noble Mecca. He says, “Abu Fatima, I wish you continued success and achievement, and to the honorable scholars who undertake answering the questions of the citizens, I ask for an answer to these questions.”
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. He is obligated to attend the congregation in the mosque, because the evidence regarding the obligation of attending the congregation is general and contains no specification. If that is the case, then it is obligatory to adhere to the generality.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) argued for the generality with what is reported of his phrasing when he was asked about donkeys, and he said (peace and blessings be upon him):
Nothing was revealed to me regarding it except this general, eloquent verse.
لم ينزل علي فيها إلا هذه الأية العامة الفاذةThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And it is His saying, the Exalted:
So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it,
فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْراً يَرَهAnd whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it.
وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرّاً يَرَهُThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The traveler is a believer, so it is obligatory for him to attend Friday prayer and attend the congregation as long as he is in a country where Friday prayer and the congregation are held.
The questioner : Okay, how does he shorten the prayer while he attends with the congregation?
The Shaykh : He shortens the prayer if he misses the prayer, or if he is in a place far from the mosques where it is difficult for him to attend, and he fears that if he leaves his lodging, from his lodging, that... someone might harm him, or something similar to that which excuses him from attending the congregation. But without an excuse, it is obligatory for him to attend the congregation.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : This is a message that came from the sender from the Noble Mecca. He says, “Abu Fatima, I wish you continued success and achievement, and to the honorable scholars who undertake answering the questions of the citizens, I ask for an answer to these questions.”