[25] Leaving the mosque while the ’Ath?n is being recited:
Ab? Hurairah ( - رضي الله عنه -) once saw a man getting out of the mosque after the Mu’aththin had recited the ‘Ath?n, then said: ‘This man has indeed disobeyed Abal Q?sim (i.e. the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -)) ’. (1)
This ruling, Ab? Hurairah delivered, was born out from the prophet’s had?th which states: ‘When ’Ath?n is being pronounced, Shait?n takes to his heels [out of the mosque] and passes wind with noise during his flight so as not to hear the ’Ath?n’. (2)
Accordingly, one must not leave the mosque when ’Ath?n is being recited so as not to act like Shait?n. (3)
Sa‘?d Ibn Al-Musayyab ( - رضي الله عنه -) said: ‘It was said that whoever gets out of the mosque after the ’Ath?n is recited is a Mun?fiq [hypocrite] save the one who does so for a dire need’. (4)
Sa’?d must have heard something of the like form one of the Sah?bah ( - رضي الله عنهم -) who never delivered such rulings from their own judgement. Ab? Hurairah ( - رضي الله عنه -) related that the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) said: ‘Whoever hears the ’Ath?n in the mosque then leaves it, is a hypocrite except he who leaves for a dire need and intends to return back to it’. (5)
(1) Narrated By Muslim in his “Sah?h” (no. 655).
(2) Narrated by Al-Bukh?r? in his “Sah?h” (no. 608).
(3) For more details about this see our book “Al-Ghawl Bainal Had?th An-Nabaw? Wal Mawr?th Ash-Sha‘b?”, published by D?r Ibn Al-Qayyim, Ad-Damm?m.
(4) Narrated by M?lik in the “Muwatta’ ” (vol. 1 / p. 162).
(5) Narrated by At-Tabar?n? in “Al-Awsat”, its narrators are all reliable ones who narrated the ah?d?th in the Sahihain-as Al-Haitham? stated in “Al-Majma‘ “(vol. 2 / p. 5).