and which are indicated by the words of Allah Most High:

“So fear Allah as much as you are able,”

and by the Prophet’s words, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

“When I command you to do something, do as much of it as you can.”

The purpose is also to explain that, when two obligations cannot both be fulfilled, the more weighty takes precedence and the other is waived on grounds recognized by the Sharia, and to highlight certain guidelines underlying the reasoning of the scholars, may Allah be pleased with them.

He was asked:

About people who hear the call to prayer but do not respond. Some pray at home, while others are not seen praying: a number of people see them, yet never see them at prayer. Their conduct, concerning prayer and other matters, is pleasing neither to Allah nor to His Messenger. Is it permissible for someone who sees a person in this condition to turn away from him, or to greet him? Give us a ruling; may you be rewarded.

Also, is it permissible for a man who serves as imam in a mosque where, on some days, only two or three men pray, and who leads the prayer there seeking Allah’s reward, [to pray elsewhere]? Likewise, if he receives payment for leading the prayer, but seeks to pray elsewhere only for the merit of congregational prayer, is that permissible? Give us a ruling; may Allah have mercy on you.

He answered:

Praying in the congregations established in mosques is among the manifest rites of Islam and its practices that lead to right guidance. As recorded in the Sahīh, Ibn Mas‘ūd said:

“These five prayers, in the mosque where the prayer is established