Could you explain the Hadith: "Journeys are not to be undertaken except to three mosques"?
The hadiths indicate that travel for the purpose of worship should only be to the three mosques: al-Masjid al-Haram, the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and al-Masjid al-Aqsa. Scholars have differed regarding the permissibility of undertaking a journey to other places to visit righteous people or virtuous sites for blessings. Some have forbidden it, based on the apparent meaning of the hadith, while others have permitted it, arguing that complete virtue is exclusive to these mosques, or that the prohibition is specific to one who vows to pray in places other than them, or that it is specific to the ruling on mosques. Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah emphasized that travel to places other than the three mosques is not obligatory by a vow because it is not an act of obedience, and that worship in the mosques is better, and that the hadith covers the prohibition of traveling to any place specifically intended for worship. As for travel for trade, seeking knowledge, or visiting a brother in faith, it is not included in the prohibition.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/46377