Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
I am often in the Islamic Centre at our university, but am sometimes faced with a dilemna of being the only person there while the time for a fard salat has arrived. This is troublesome because I do not want to miss the reward of giving the salat in congregation, nor do I want to delay it excessively. How long should I wait for someone to arrive before I should establish the salat by myself? I
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
I pray that this finds you well, and in the best of health and spirits. May Allah grant you all good and success in this life and the next.
[1] It is best to wait for others in order to establish a congregation, when you are able to without hardship or disadvantage.
[2] However, this should not be done when you would end up praying in the disliked time for any particular prayer.
[3] When you are not able to wait for others to show up to the prayer area, you should just go ahead and pray–but make the intention that you would have prayed in congregation had others showed up, and that you would have waited if you were able to. This way, you will–insha’Allah–had the reward of praying in congregation by virtue of your intention, as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned in a number of hadiths.
And Allah alone gives success.
Faraz Rabbani