Remaining with the jamāʿah (community) is especially important for Muslims living in Muslim-majority countries, where established religious structures help provide unity and coherence within society.

However, in countries like the United States, there is no single religious authority that represents all Muslims in a particular city, let alone the entire country. Because of this, the general principle regarding congregational acts of worship is that if multiple Muslim groups are offering the same service, individuals may follow whichever group they believe is sound and trustworthy.

No Muslim institution in the U.S. has the authority to mandate that all Muslims must follow one specific organization, since there is no universally recognized leader over all Muslims here. Therefore, if different institutions in a particular locality observe ʿĪd or begin Ramaḍān on different days, Muslims are free to follow whichever community they are comfortable with.

Insisting that everyone must follow only one group in a non-Muslim country misrepresents Islamic legal principles and proper religious decorum in such contexts. At the same time, while not every institution may be correct in its decisions, differences should be handled with tolerance and maturity, in accordance with the teachings of Allah ﷻ and His Messenger ﷺ. Responding with hostility or bigotry only fuels sectarianism and creates unnecessary divisions within the community.

That said, in small towns in the U.S., where there is only one masjid holding Jumuʿah or ʿĪd prayers, it is generally better to pray together at that established location and avoid creating separate gatherings out of showmanship or elitism.

We pray that Allah ﷻ accepts our worship this Ramaḍān and grants us the tawfīq to emerge having attained His mercy and forgiveness, freed from the punishment of the Afterlife.