The ruling on deliberately going to a distant mosque with the intention of seeking reward
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
What about the one who has a mosque nearby but crosses over to a more distant mosque?
Answer:
There is no harm if he intends to seek reward, and if going to the nearby mosque does not result in anything; he is not accused of anything, and no one’s absence results from it.
However, if his presence there gathers them and helps them to maintain their attendance, then praying in the nearby mosque, which results in the gathering of people and their eagerness to pray due to its presence, is more preferable.
As for if his going to a distant mosque does not result in anything, there is no harm, just as he said:Sahih al-Bukhari 651.
But for some people, their presence in the mosque is a cause for gathering people and a cause for their eagerness to attend, and they may be accused if they see him and say he did not pray, or such, and his honor is disparaged.
What about the one who has a mosque nearby but crosses over to a more distant mosque?
Answer:
There is no harm if he intends to seek reward, and if going to the nearby mosque does not result in anything; he is not accused of anything, and no one’s absence results from it.
However, if his presence there gathers them and helps them to maintain their attendance, then praying in the nearby mosque, which results in the gathering of people and their eagerness to pray due to its presence, is more preferable.
As for if his going to a distant mosque does not result in anything, there is no harm, just as he said:
The people who get tremendous reward for the prayer are those who are farthest away (from the mosque) and then those who are next farthest
أعْظَمُ الناس أجْرًا في الصلاة أبْعَدُهم فأبْعَدُهم مَمْشىBut for some people, their presence in the mosque is a cause for gathering people and a cause for their eagerness to attend, and they may be accused if they see him and say he did not pray, or such, and his honor is disparaged.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.