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The people have moved away from the neighbourhood; what should the imaam of the local mosque do?

11-02-2000

Question 8815

There is an imaam in a mosque where the people have moved away, and no one prays with him except one person, or he prays alone. Should he carry on praying in the mosque on his own, or go and join the jamaa’ah in another mosque? And to what extent is he still entitled to his salary?

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who answered as follows:

I think that he should stay, and there has to be someone else with him. If there is no one with him, he should go to another mosque and pray there with the jamaa’ah. With regard to his salary, he has to tell the responsible authorities and if they let him stay, that is OK.

And Allaah knows best.

Rulings on Mosques

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