The Ruling on Travelling to Other than the Three Mosques

Question :

There is a mosque near us which was built and called Mu'ath bin Jabal Mosque, popularly known as Masjid Al-Jund. The people come to visit it on Fridays and in the month of Rajab every year, both men and women. Is this authorized by the Sunnah, and what is your advice to those people, O Eminent Sheikh.

Answer:

First of all, this is not authorized by the Sunnah, because it has not been authenticated that Mu'ath bin Jabal, may Allah be pleased with him, built a mosque when the Prophet sent him to Yemen. And since it is not verified, the claim that this is his mosque is baseless, and every claim without evidence is rejected.

Secondly, even if it were proved that Mu'ath bin Jabal built a mosque there, visiting it and travelling to it have not been prescribed. Indeed, travelling to any mosque other than the three mosques is forbidden. The Prophet said:

"Do not saddle up your riding beasts except to three mosques: The Sacred Mosque, this, my mosque and Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Thirdly, singling out the month of Rajab for such visits is an innovation also, because the month of Rajab is not singled out for any kind of worship, neither fasting nor prayer, and its ruling is no different from that of the other Sacred Months; they are: Rajab, Thul-Qa'dah, Thul-Hijjah and Muharram. These are the months about which Allah says in His Book:
Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year), so was it ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are sacred.

It has not been authentically reported that the month of Rajab has been singled out from them for anything, neither fasting nor prayer. Thus, if any person singles out this month for any kind of worship which has not been confirmed by the Prophet he is an innovator, because the Prophet SAW said:
"It is incumbent upon you to follow my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Well-Guided Caliphs who come after me; hold fast to it and bite onto it with your molars, and beware of newly invented matters, for every newly invented matter is an innovation, and every innovation is a misguidance.

So my advice to those, my brothers who attend this mosque which they claim is the mosque of Mu'ath in Yemen is not to fatigue themselves and waste their money in this matter which will do naught but distance them from Allah. I advise them to exert their energies in things of which the legality is confirmed by the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet, and this is sufficient for the believer.