Attending the Mosque as a Sign of Faith? A Review of a Weak Hadith Source: Fatawa Arkan-e-Islam
Question
Can a person's regular attendance at the mosque be used as a basis to affirm his faith, as mentioned in a Hadith?
Answer
Alḥamdulillāh, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
Yes, there is no doubt that a person who regularly attends the mosque to perform prayers demonstrates a sign of faith (īmān). This is because it is only belief in Allah ﷻ that compels a person to leave the comfort of their home and take steps toward the masjid.
The inquirer has referred to a Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ, which states:
((إِذَا رَأَيْتُمُ الرَّجُلَ يَعْتَادُ الْمَسْجِدَ فَاشْهَدُوا لَهُ بِالْإِيمَانِ))
(Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī, Book of Faith, Chapter: The Sanctity of Prayer, Hadith: 2617)
"When you see a man frequenting the mosque, testify to his faith."
However, it is important to note that this Hadith is weak (ḍaʿīf), and this statement is not authentically established from the Prophet ﷺ with a sound chain of narration.
Therefore, while attending the mosque is indeed a mark of faith, one cannot firmly testify to someone's faith based solely on this narration, as it does not serve as a strong Shar‘i proof.
❝ Hādhā mā ‘indī, wallāhu a‘lam biṣ-ṣawāb ❞
(This is what I know; and Allah knows best what is right.)
