Offering the prayer in congregation in the mosque is not specific to Ramadan
Fatwa No: 262981

Question

In our place many people pray and fast in Radaman regularly and the mosque is always full. But we cannot see these people near Mosque after 30th of Ramadan. What we can say and think about them? One of our Imams said we should not talk anything about their behavior, and if we talk our prayer during the whole year will go waste. Is it right? Also in our mosque rich people also break the fast and after the Maqrib prayer they eat or drink from the mosque. Can I give money to mosque authorities for this purpose? I have another question: I am not joining the group dua. Can I join with them saying salawat on prophet at the end of their dua?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and messenger.

Those who fail to attend the congregational prayers in the mosque after the month of Ramadan ends should be advised (kindly). They should be instructed on the merits and virtues of attending the congregational prayer at the mosque and that Allaah, The Exalted, prescribed the congregational prayer in the mosque all year long and not only in Ramadan as underlined in Fatwa 82264. They should be kindly advised and reminded that obeying the commandments of Allaah should not be seasonal or exclusive to Ramadan. Instead, one should obediently comply with the divine directives at any time or place.

What this Shaykh has said is incorrect. In fact, such people should be kindly and wisely advised according to the principle of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil.

As for offering Iftaar meals for the fasting people, this is a recommended act even if the recipients are rich and in no need of that charity. However, it is better to offer these meals to the poor. Hence, there is no problem in offering this money to the mosque administration, yet it would be better to offer it to the poor.

It should be noted that there is nothing wrong with joining the congregational prayer at the end of the supplication and you will be rewarded according to your participation.

Finally, it is worth highlighting that it is not an act of Sunnah to specify a specific time for the supplication in congregation if there is no revealed text specifying it. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 85281.

Allaah Knows best.

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