In the light of reopening mosques to resume congregational prayers there, is there anything wrong if I leave the mosque immediately after performing the obligatory prayer, saying Azhkār (the post-prayer remembrance, plural of zhikr) on my way home and praying Sunnah at home? This would be meant to take all precautions not to transmit infection, and to prevent mixing?

Answer:

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. May Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon Muḥammad who was sent as mercy to the worlds, our Prophet, peace be upon him and his good and pure family.

A believer is always supported by Allah, relying on Him, and believing that whatever has come to him and whatever has gone away from him is destined [by Allah]. However, one should consider reasons that are based on faith. Allah says, “O you who have believed, take your precautions”. (Qur’ān, 4:71)

There is nothing wrong with you, questioner, that you leave the mosque immediately after performing the congregational prayer, saying post-prayer Azhkār on your way home, and praying Sunnah at home, because the post-prayer Azhkār do not have to be in a special location that is determined by the scholars of jurisprudence, although it is better for them to be said inside the mosque if there is no excuse for otherwise.

In his Fatḥ ul-Bārī, Imam Ibn Ḥajar said, “The imam and those with him are busy with the authenticated Zhikr. Zhikr does not have a specific place to be said in. It is fine if the worshippers want to leave, then say their Azhkār later, or stay in the mosque and say the Azhkār there. (Fatḥul-Bārī by Ibn Ḥajar (2/335))

As for the supererogatory prayer before or after the obligatory, it is basically performed at home. The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Perform some of your supererogatory prayers (nawāfil) at home, and do not leave your houses bare of zhikr like graves.” (Narrated by Bukharῑ and Muslim) The prayers intended in this ḥadīth are nawāfil prayers only.

The evidence is that the Prophet (pbuh) said, “Perform your prayers at home, for the best prayer of a person is what is performed at home except for the compulsory (congregational) prayer.” (Narrated by Bukarῑ and Muslim)

That is because the reward of such prayer at one's place is greater than that in the mosque. The Prophet (pbuh) said, “All the prayers a man would perform in his place is better than his prayer in this mosque of mine except for obligatory prayer.” (Narrated by Abu Dāwūd in his Sunan) He (Prophet Muḥammad, p.b.u.h) also said, “The value of performing a congregational [obligatory] prayer is higher than the prayer of a man by himself by twenty-five degrees. The preference of performing taṭawwuˁ (additional) prayer at home to performing it in the mosque is equal to the preference of performing a congregational [obligatory] prayer to performing it by oneself.” (Narrated by Ibn us-Sakan(

That is because praying at home would indicate more sincerity, and typically goes beyond hypocrisy, as stated by the scholars of jurisprudence. Allah knows the best.