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Fatwa CenterPrayer in Hostel
Question
Will Allah accept the prayer in a prayer hall of a hostel as equal to that of mosque?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
This hall is apparently not a mosque as it is not prepared for praying all the time. If that is the case, then praying in congregation in such a hall is like praying in congregation at home or in the market. But the preponderant opinion is that the reward of praying in congregation is given to anybody who prays in congregation whether that is in the mosque or elsewhere.
In fact, the Hadeeth concerning this issue is general. The Prophet said: “The reward of the prayer of a man in congregation is twenty-five times the reward of a man who prays alone.” [Ahmad]
In another narration, Ibn Maajah reported that the Prophet said: “The prayer of a man in congregation exceeds the prayer of a man alone by twenty-seven degrees.” [Al-Albaani classified this Hadeeth as sound]
Ibn Daqeeq al-‘Eed said: “Some scholars considered this Hadeeth as enough evidence that both congregations (in the mosque and elsewhere) are similar in reward. This is the view chosen by the Maaliki School of jurisprudence.”
But there is no doubt that the person who chooses to pray in congregation outside the mosque will miss the reward of walking to the mosque, staying in it, and praying with a bigger number of people. So, we say that going to the mosque is better as it gives the person a greater reward.
Allah knows best.
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