Closing the Local Masjid to Perform Salaah in the Jaami Masjid

Q: Salaah-155: There are eight localities in our town and therefore eight Masaajid. There is also a Large (Jaami) Masjid where the people of six localities perform their Jumu'ah salaah. The people of two of the localities do not attend and when asked to do so, they argue that by them attending the Jaami Masjid, there Masaajid will be deserted. This, they say, is disrespect to the Masjid. Is leaving the local Masaajid to perform salaah in the Jaami Masjid disrespectful to the Masaajid?

Answer: Men have been emphatically instructed to perform the five daily salaahs in the Masjid and the rewards for attending the local Masjid for these salaahs is equal to them attending the Jaami Masjid. This instruction cannot be left out without a valid excuse. Even if it means that a single Musalli performs salaah in the local Masjid, people are not allowed to miss a salaah in the Masjid. However, it is permissible to close the local Masaajid to perform the Jumu'ah salaah in the Jaami Masjid. The Jumu'ah salaah may be performed in two or more Masaajid when the Jaami Masjid cannot accommodate everyone or if it is too difficult for people to travel to it.

Performing the Jumu'ah salaah in the local Masaajid will defeat the purpose that the Shari'ah aims to achieve and will destroy the migh.t of Islaam. There will therefore be no disrespect shown to the 74 Masaajid by leaving them to perform the Jumu'ah salaah in the Jaami Masjid. This is just as there is no harm in leaving even. the Jaami Masjid to perform the Eid salaah out of town. In fact, such an act will add to the might and status of Islaam and the people doing it will be deserving of tremendous rewards tor initiating a good deed. Rasulullaah SAW. said, "The person who initiates a good deed in Islaam will receive the rewards of it as well as the rewards of all those who follow suit without their rewards being diminished in the least. And Allaah knows best what is most correct.

Fatawa Rahimiyyah vol.2