this to be a precondition for the validity of the Salaw?t; their belief is totally wrong.

* Detering those who live near the mosque from combining between Salaw?t in residence.

[7/ 65] Some Sh?fi‘? followers held that ‘in residence only those who live far away from the mosque and find it difficult to reach the mosque under rain are permitted to perform combination between Salaw?t. However, those who walk to the mosque under any kind of a shelter [a building, a roofed entrance, ... etc.] or those whose houses are just near the mosque, they may not perform combination between the Salaw?t’.

They [i.e. the Sh?fi‘? followers] only excluded the Im?m from this ruling for if he is not to lead all the Salaw?t, congregations would not be established in the mosque. (1)

The sounder opinion is that doing combination is permissible for the Im?m and every one else.

Im?m M?lik was once asked about those who live near the mosque and could easily reach it and those whose houses are far away from the mosque; are they both allowed to do combination between the Salaw?t in rainy weather?

He answered: ‘When combination is performed in the mosque, all those who attend the mosque should do the same -those who live near or away from the mosque- they are all equal in this’. (2)

Commenting on Im?m M?lik’s view, Muhammad Ibn Rushd said: ‘This view is indeed the truth since the permissibility of performing combination is for both kinds of people. Those who live near the mosque are not allowed to form a congregation for each Sal?t for this would induce them to leave the congregation with the Im?m and would lead to disunity amongst muslims’. (3)