Ruling on going to neighboring mosques to perform the Friday prayer and leaving the village mosque
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Question:
After that, we move on to the message of this questioner, who used the initials (S. A. Sh.) as a code for his name. The question is: I and some other people go on Friday to perform the Friday prayer in a congregational mosque in neighboring villages, even though we have a congregational mosque in our own village with a preacher. Is it obligatory for a person to pray in the congregational mosque in his own village? Or can he pray the Friday prayer in any other congregational mosque? And peace be upon you.
Answer:
There is no blame on the Muslim for praying in any congregational mosque, especially if the sermon of the preacher in the mosque he intends to attend is better and more beneficial, or if his prayer is more guided, or if his congregation is larger. There is nothing wrong with leaving the mosque near him for a legitimate religious interest. And if he prays in the mosque near him, there is nothing wrong with that, and praise be to Allah. But if he leaves the nearest mosque for a legitimate religious interest, such as to increase his steps, or because the preacher of that mosque is more beneficial, or his prayer is more complete, or for other reasons, there is nothing wrong with it.
As for leaving the nearby mosque in a way that causes hardship for the people of that mosque, or leads them to suspect that he is not satisfied with the imam, or leads them to suspect the imam, he should ward off from himself what he fears. He should pray with this imam at times and with that imam at times, so that there are no suspicions or illusions. If the imam of the mosque near him is good and there is no doubt about him, he should pray with him at times so that it is not thought that he has a bad opinion of him, or that he is not fit for the role.
The point is: if his prayer in the distant mosque does not result in any harm, there is nothing wrong with it. Especially if passing by this mosque might cause a suspicion about his imam, that he is not qualified for the imamate, he should pray in it at times until these suspicions are removed. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
After that, we move on to the message of this questioner, who used the initials (S. A. Sh.) as a code for his name. The question is: I and some other people go on Friday to perform the Friday prayer in a congregational mosque in neighboring villages, even though we have a congregational mosque in our own village with a preacher. Is it obligatory for a person to pray in the congregational mosque in his own village? Or can he pray the Friday prayer in any other congregational mosque? And peace be upon you.
Answer:
There is no blame on the Muslim for praying in any congregational mosque, especially if the sermon of the preacher in the mosque he intends to attend is better and more beneficial, or if his prayer is more guided, or if his congregation is larger. There is nothing wrong with leaving the mosque near him for a legitimate religious interest. And if he prays in the mosque near him, there is nothing wrong with that, and praise be to Allah. But if he leaves the nearest mosque for a legitimate religious interest, such as to increase his steps, or because the preacher of that mosque is more beneficial, or his prayer is more complete, or for other reasons, there is nothing wrong with it.
As for leaving the nearby mosque in a way that causes hardship for the people of that mosque, or leads them to suspect that he is not satisfied with the imam, or leads them to suspect the imam, he should ward off from himself what he fears. He should pray with this imam at times and with that imam at times, so that there are no suspicions or illusions. If the imam of the mosque near him is good and there is no doubt about him, he should pray with him at times so that it is not thought that he has a bad opinion of him, or that he is not fit for the role.
The point is: if his prayer in the distant mosque does not result in any harm, there is nothing wrong with it. Especially if passing by this mosque might cause a suspicion about his imam, that he is not qualified for the imamate, he should pray in it at times until these suspicions are removed. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.