Going around to different mosques looking for a beautiful voice
Question What is the ruling on going around to different mosques looking for an imam with a beautiful voice, because that makes one more focused in prayer?. Praise be to Allah. It seems – and Allaah knows best – that there is nothing wrong with that, if the purpose is to find something which will…
Question
Praise be to Allah.
It seems – and Allaah knows best – that there is nothing
wrong with that, if the purpose is to find something which will help one to
focus properly in prayer and be at ease therein, because not every voice is
pleasant, so if the aim in going to hear the voice of a particular imam is
to encourage one to do good and focus more fully in prayer, there is nothing
wrong with that. Rather his action will be appreciated and he will be
rewarded for that. A person may focus well behind one imam and not behind
another, because of the difference between the two recitations and the two
prayers. So if the aim in going to a distant mosque is to listen to his
recitation because of his beautiful voice, and to benefit from that and to
focus properly in his prayer, and not just for fun, but to benefit and
learn, and to focus properly in prayer, there is nothing wrong with that. It
is proven in the saheeh hadeeth that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: “The people who will have the greatest reward
for prayer will be those who walk the furthest distance to come and pray,
then those who walk the next furthest.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (651) and
Muslim (662). If his aim is also to increase the number of steps he takes,
this is also a good purpose. End quote.
