Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
- A number of Prophetic hadiths strongly recommend walking to mosques. Still driving to mosques, along with its expenses, is rewardable.
- When walking to the mosque involves unbearable hardship, such as when one is aged or resides very far away from the mosque, driving to mosques turns to be the reasonable solution.
Answering your question, Dr. Muhammad Salama, PhD, Islamic Studies in English, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Islamic Sciences al-Madinah International University (Mediu), states:
Reward for walking to mosques
A number of Pophetic hadiths strongly recommend walking to mosques. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
The most eminent among human beings (as a recipient of) reward (is one) who lives farthest away, and who has to walk the farthest distance, and he who waits for the prayer to observe it along with the Imam, his reward is greater than one who prays (alone) and then goes to sleep.” (Muslim)
Ubay ibn Kab said:
“There was a man, and I do not know of any other man, whose house was farther than his from the mosque and he never missed the prayer (in congregation). It was said to him or I said to him: It you were to buy a donkey you could ride upon it In the dark nights and in the burning sand. He said: I do not like my house to be situated by the side of the mosque, for I (eagerly) desire that my steps towards the mosque and back from it, should be recorded when I return to my family. Upon this the Messenger of Allah said: Allah has gathered all (rewards) for you. (Muslim)
Prophet Muhammad said:
“He who purified himself in his house, and then he walked to one of the houses of Allah for the sake of performing an obligatory act out of the obligatory acts of Allah, both his steps (would be significant) as one of them would obliterate his sin and the second one would raise his status.” (Muslim)
Prophet Muhammad said:
“Give good tidings to those who walk to the mosques in darkness for having a perfect light on the Day of Judgment.” (Abu Dawud)
Driving to mosques or walking?
These and other reports give preference to walking to mosques over riding to them.
Still driving to mosques, along with its expenses, is rewardable. Almighty Allah says, what means, “And whatever you spend in the cause of Allah will be fully repaid to you, and you will not be wronged.” (Al-Anfal 8:60)
Furthermore, when walking to the mosque involves unbearable hardship, such as when one is aged or resides very far away from the mosque, driving to mosques turns to be the reasonable solution.
Almighty Allah knows best.