Reference: Fataawa Ramadhaan – Volume 2, Page 837, Fatwa No.832
al- Fataawa libni-‘Uthaymeen – Kitaab ad-Da’wah – Volume 1, Pages 202-203
Question: What is the ruling regarding the people of Jeddah travelling to Makkah to pray the Taraaweeh prayer?
Response: There is no harm for a person to travel to al-Masjid al-Haraam [in Makkah] to pray the Taraaweeh prayer, since al-Masjid al-Haraam is from those [masaajid] which it is permissible to exert oneself in travelling to.
However, if the person is a worker or an imaam in a masjid, then they should not leave their work or their position as an imaam in order to go to al-Masjid al-Haraam to pray because [to travel so as] to pray in al-Masjid al-Haraam is a Sunnah.
As for maintaining a job, then it is obligatory and there is no possibility of leaving that which is obligatory so as to do something which is a Sunnah.
And it has reached me that some imaam’s leave their masaajid and travel to Makkah so as to perform the i’tikaaf in al-Masjid al-Haraam or to pray the Taraaweeh prayer. This is a mistake since carrying out an obligation is obligatory and travelling to Makkah to pray the Taraaweeh prayer or perform the i’tikaaf is not obligatory [rather it is from the Sunnah].
