The Worshipper Is Rewarded Even If He Is Prevented from Praying in the Mosque

Question

If in some mosque there is no general permission (idhn ‘amm), and the mosque’s mutawalli, on seeing the worshippers, says that there are seventeen other mosques within the city — is it somehow necessary to pray right here? — then, given his saying this, can prayer be performed in this mosque or not?

Answer

No one has the right to prevent any worshipper from praying in a mosque in the Shar‘i sense. Whoever prevents is in error; because of his preventing, that mosque will not become his property — rather, his preventing will be wrong, and prayer in that mosque remains valid.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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