Is Congregational Prayer in a Mosque Obligatory for a Traveller Who Hears the Adhan?
The brother says: if the traveller is on the road or has stopped at a house and hears the call to prayer, is congregational prayer in the masjid obligatory for him or not? This requires detail.
If he is alone, the congregational prayer is obligatory upon him, and if a group in the house is not available to him, it is obligatory for him to go to the masjid — on the basis of: that without which an obligation cannot be fulfilled is itself obligatory.
The general import of the evidences indicating the obligation of congregational prayer in times of residing at home and travelling — among them is His Almighty's statement: "And when you are among them and lead them in prayer, let a group of them stand with you" (4:102) — Allah commanded the establishment of the congregation in the state of fear, and the fear prayer was in travel. And if the congregational prayer is obligatory — if the congregation is obligatory upon the person who is fearful while travelling, then it will certainly be obligatory upon the one who is safe — by way of greater priority. And this verse is among the strongest evidences for the obligation of congregational prayer in times of residing at home and travelling.
As for when this traveller is with a group — masajid are not obligatory upon them. Rather the congregation is obligatory upon them. This is supported by the hadith of Yazid ibn al-Aswad (reported by the five [major hadith collections]): that the Prophet ﷺ prayed Fajr in Masjid al-Khayf, and he noticed two men at the back of the people who had not prayed with him. They were brought forward while their limbs were trembling. When he finished the prayer, he said: 'What prevented you from praying with us?' [they had said] "Oh Messenger of Allah, we already prayed in our quarters." So the Prophet ﷺ said: "Do not do that. If you pray in your homes and then come to a congregation where the prayer has not yet been performed, then pray with them - it will be a voluntary prayer for you." And this is a sound hadith.
It is evidence that masajid are not obligatory in travel, and that the congregation itself is what is obligatory. But this does not mean that the person is to be visible among the people and to make it appear as though he has done something wrong if he sits in his house — it is not obligatory upon him to go to he masjid — as long as he prays in congregation in his house.
Questioner: (asks question regarding the hadith 'there is no Friday prayer and no congregational prayer upon a traveller')
This hadith is weak. It is not sound from the Prophet ﷺ. What is sound in this regard is the hadith of Tariq ibn Shihab: "The Friday prayer is obligatory except for four..." — the hadith.