Performing salaah in a musallah if there is a musjid in the vicinity

Q: Is azaan mandatory in a small office mosque where 2 or 3 jamaat prayers are held and not all? The above mentioned mosque has no speakers, no fixed imam and muazzin, whenever multiple people come then they pray in jamaat.

A: If the place you are speaking about is not a shar'ee musjid, but a musallah, then the sharee ruling is that if there is no musjid in the vicinity or the musjid is at a distance (i.e. approx 2km), then performing salaah with jamaat in the musallah will be permissible. Before performing the salaah, azaan should be called out.

However, if there is a musjid in the vicinity and the musjid is nearby (i.e. within the radius of 2km or less), then it is not permissible for the males to perform their fardh salaah in the musallah. Rather, it is necessary for them to go to the musjid to perform their fardh salaah.

And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

 

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)