The Proximity Which Obligates Men To Attend Congregation In The Masjid

• There's no set limit in the Shari’ah as Sheikh ’Uthaymīn raḥimahullāh stated: المسافة ليس فيها تحديد شرعي. [Al-Bāb Al-Maftūḥ (Question Nu. 700) • However, the estimation and criterion is given in the following ḥadīth: عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رضي الله عنه قَالَ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ رَجُلٌ أَعْمَى فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ لِي قَائِدٌ يَقُودُنِي إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ.‏ فَسَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ أَنْ يُرَخِّصَ لَهُ فَيُصَلِّيَ فِي بَيْتِهِ فَرَخَّصَ لَهُ. فَلَمَّا وَلَّى دَعَاهُ فَقَالَ: ‏((هَلْ تَسْمَعُ النِّدَاءَ بِالصَّلاَةِ؟)). فَقَالَ نَعَمْ.‏ قَالَ: ‏((فَأَجِبْ)).‏ [رواه مسلم] Narrated Abū Hurairah رضي الله عنه: A blind man came to the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ and said: “O Messenger of Allāh, I have no one to guide me to the masjid.” So he asked Allāh's Messenger ﷺ permission to offer prayers in his house and he (ﷺ) granted him permission. Then when the man turned away he called him and said: “Can you hear the adhān?” He said: “Yes.” So he (ﷺ) said: “Answer [it]!” [Sahih Muslim, 653] So, whoever is within a proximity where he is able to hear the adhān, this person is obligated to answer the call and attend the congregation in the masjid. Imām An-Nawawi raḥimahullāh said: الاعتبار في سماع النداء أن يقف المؤذن في طرف البلد والأصوات هادئة والريح ساكنة وهو مستمع؛ فإذا سمع لزمه، وإن لم يسمع لم يلزمه. “The determining factor in hearing the adhān is for the mu'adhin to stand at the edge of the Town while the voices are quiet, the wind is still, and he is listening attentively; so if he hears [the adhān] he is obligated to attend, and if he does not hear it then he is not obligated to do so.” [Al-Majmū’ (4/353)] • The adhān's reach is based on the human voice at an average loudness without the use of a microphone. Sheikh Albāni raḥimahullāh said: “The distance is an estimation based on whether he is in a place where he can hear the natural adhān that is not accompanied by instruments which amplify the sound; so whoever is within this proximity must attend the masjid. If he does not do so, he will be sinful, and if he continues like this, he will aquire a characteristic from the characteristics of the hypocrites. But if the masjid is farther than that, it is still recommended for him to [attend and] pray; and this is a matter of recommendation and not an obligation.” BENEFIT: Sheikh Ḥasan Bā Shu’ayb ḥafidhahullāh said: ذكر بعض الفقهاء أن الأذان في الأحوال العادية يسمع على بعد فرسخ؛ والفرسخ ثلاثة أميال؛ والميل كيلو وستة أعشار. “Some of the Jurists mentioned that, in normal conditions the adhān can be heard from a distance of a Farsakh; one Farsakh is three miles, and each mile is 1.6 km.” [t.me/Bashuaib/4909] But this seems very far away والله أعلم! • It is still highly recommended to attend the congregation even if one lives beyond the obligatory distance عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى رضي الله عنه قَالَ: قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ:‏ ((أَعْظَمُ النَّاسِ أَجْرًا فِي الصَّلاَةِ أَبْعَدُهُمْ فَأَبْعَدُهُمْ مَمْشًى)). [متفق عليه] Narrated Abū Mūsā رضي الله عنه: The Prophet ﷺ said, “The people who will receive the most reward for the prayer are those who are farthest away (from the masjid) and then those who are next farthest and so on.” _ 2 Follow-up questions: 1⃣. In Europe some people are local to the masjid but they do not hear the adhān, not because the distance is far, but because they call the adhān inside the masjid and they are not allowed to raise the voice outside. So is it still obligatory to attend the masjid in this case? Answer: https://t.me/madrasatuna/3283 2⃣. If I am local to a masjid in which the adhān is called but the sound is not heard outside, do I have to call adhān if I pray at home/work? Answer: https://t.me/madrasatuna/3284