Offering Salah in a Masjid that has a regular Imam

Q 4: An Imam (the one who leads congregational Prayer) of a Masjid (mosque) leads people in Jumu`ah (Friday) Prayer, the Two `Eid Prayers and other Salahs (prayers). The Masjid he is in charge of, lies in the desert and people do not gather in this Masjid except to offer Jumu`ah (Friday) Prayer. Is there any sin on this Imam if he does not offer the obligatory Salah (Prayer) with them on the other days? It is worth mentioning that the Imam offers the obligatory prayers in a Masjid near his house, and there are about ten people who are neighbors of that Masjid but they do not offer Salah; how should they be treated?

A: The regular Imam should lead the people during all the Salahs in the Masjid that he is in charge of, regardless of the number of the people offering Salah behind him, even if it is very small. Moreover, he is sinful if he does not attend the obligatory Salah in his Masjid. The Imam should command people to (Part No. 6; Page No. 278) offer Salah in the Masjid and warn them against abandoning this. Those people might have wrongly understood that he abandons offering Salah in the Masjid so they imitated him.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.