The following points support our view:

First: If walking to the mosque under any kind of hardship -such as rain, ... etc.- to be taken as a precondition [for the validity of combination] this would entail the prohibition of doing combination by those who reach the mosque before the hardship takes place. And such a view was not held by any Faq?h -as far as I know.

Second: Im?m Ash-Sh?fi‘? said: ‘People could do combination whether the rain is heavy or not, the mosque is close to one’s house or not or whether the people attending it are many or not.

One may not do combination between Salaw?t at home for the prophet ( - ) never did combination but in the mosque. Besides, doing Sal?t at home is totally different from doing it in the mosque’. (1)

The aforementioned view of Ash-Sh?fi‘? was also stated in “Al-Iml?’” and it is the opposite of that which his followers hold. (2)

Third: The main principle when doing any kind of congregational worship is to retain unity amongst muslims. Some scholars said: ‘The essence of any ‘Ib?dah [worship] is to do it in congregation. Were it to be done in isolation this would indicate insincerity, having some kind of misconception, practicing Bid‘ah, lack of good manners or nursing feelings of conceit’. (3)

If those living near the mosque are to be prohibited of doing combination [with the congregation], this would lead to disunity amongst muslims while doing acts of worship and would lead to further mistakes done while doing combination; two of which will be discussed in details.