Is it better for the imam on Friday to arrive at the mosque early like the other early-arriving congregants, or is it better to stay at home or outside the mosque?
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The questioner : This is a questioner for the program who says: Is it better for the imam on Friday to arrive at the mosque early like the other early-arriving congregants, or is it better to stay at home or outside the mosque until he enters and then goes up to the pulpit? What is the best and the Sunnah in this matter?
The Shaykh : The best and the Sunnah in this matter is for the imam to stay in his home or in any place, and not to attend the mosque except when the time for prayer arrives. This is the way of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and it is not permissible to deviate from the way of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) merely because a person prefers something.
So the imam who stays and does not come to the mosque except when the time for prayer arrives is better than the one who goes ahead and arrives early.
The Shaykh : The best and the Sunnah in this matter is for the imam to stay in his home or in any place, and not to attend the mosque except when the time for prayer arrives. This is the way of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and it is not permissible to deviate from the way of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) merely because a person prefers something.
So the imam who stays and does not come to the mosque except when the time for prayer arrives is better than the one who goes ahead and arrives early.