The ruling on staying overnight in the mosque to attend the Fajr prayer in congregation
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Question:
A somewhat lengthy letter was sent by the listener 'Adil 'Abd al-Qayyum from Sudan, Port Sudan, containing four questions. In his first question, he says: We are a group of young men, and praise be to Allah, we are diligent in performing the five daily prayers in the mosque. After the 'Isha' prayer, we go to our homes, then we come back to stay overnight in the mosque. Some of us pray during the night, and some of us recite the Qur'an. Then we wake up before Fajr and give the adhan to alert people for Fajr. The reason we stay overnight in the mosque is to ensure we perform the Fajr prayer, fearing that if we sleep in our homes, we will miss the Fajr prayer. Some people mock us and say to us: Why do you sleep in the mosque? Do you not have houses, or families to sleep with? We ask: Is our staying overnight permissible? We request your ruling and guidance. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
If staying overnight in the mosque is for this reason, which is the fear of sleeping through the Fajr prayer, then there is nothing wrong with it. However, if it is possible for you to have someone wake you up in your homes, or to place an alarm clock at the head of one of you, so that he stays overnight in his home and performs the tahajjud prayer in his home at the end of the night; this is better, and this is more preferable, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Companions did. A person stays overnight in his home and places the clock at his head, and it—Allah willing—provides the alert.
As for if that is not possible, and we sleep in the mosque so that some of you wake up others so that you pray Fajr with the Muslims; then this is a great good, and a sound intention, and you have an excuse for this. But if it is possible for each of you to strive to pray in his home and stay overnight in his home, that is better. The clock—praise be to Allah—is useful in most cases if it is set at an appropriate time near Fajr; then it—praise be to Allah—will be useful for him. Yes, the clock... the one that has an alarm. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
A somewhat lengthy letter was sent by the listener 'Adil 'Abd al-Qayyum from Sudan, Port Sudan, containing four questions. In his first question, he says: We are a group of young men, and praise be to Allah, we are diligent in performing the five daily prayers in the mosque. After the 'Isha' prayer, we go to our homes, then we come back to stay overnight in the mosque. Some of us pray during the night, and some of us recite the Qur'an. Then we wake up before Fajr and give the adhan to alert people for Fajr. The reason we stay overnight in the mosque is to ensure we perform the Fajr prayer, fearing that if we sleep in our homes, we will miss the Fajr prayer. Some people mock us and say to us: Why do you sleep in the mosque? Do you not have houses, or families to sleep with? We ask: Is our staying overnight permissible? We request your ruling and guidance. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
If staying overnight in the mosque is for this reason, which is the fear of sleeping through the Fajr prayer, then there is nothing wrong with it. However, if it is possible for you to have someone wake you up in your homes, or to place an alarm clock at the head of one of you, so that he stays overnight in his home and performs the tahajjud prayer in his home at the end of the night; this is better, and this is more preferable, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Companions did. A person stays overnight in his home and places the clock at his head, and it—Allah willing—provides the alert.
As for if that is not possible, and we sleep in the mosque so that some of you wake up others so that you pray Fajr with the Muslims; then this is a great good, and a sound intention, and you have an excuse for this. But if it is possible for each of you to strive to pray in his home and stay overnight in his home, that is better. The clock—praise be to Allah—is useful in most cases if it is set at an appropriate time near Fajr; then it—praise be to Allah—will be useful for him. Yes, the clock... the one that has an alarm. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.