Followers Going to Another Mosque Because the Imam Is Not Punctual

Question

It is an established ruling that praying in the nearby mosque of one’s neighbourhood is more virtuous. What if the imam does not keep to a fixed time? A muqtadi (follower) came to the mosque of another neighbourhood for the sake of the congregation, and right at the time of the congregation it became known that the imam was not there: he had gone without informing anyone — and this often happens; and there is no one else to lead the prayer, nor is there agreement among the followers to choose someone from among…

Answer

The imam’s frequently going away without informing anyone and without arranging for the congregation, as a result of which there is no congregation at all in the mosque, is very bad. The imam himself must take care of this, and all the worshippers should make arrangements for it; otherwise, if the worshippers go to other mosques for the sake of keeping to the congregation,…

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.