If someone prays alone at home instead of going to the masjid and praying in congregation then is his prayer valid or not?
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
If a male performs his fard salaah individually at home, his salaah will be valid. However, he will be sinful for leaving out salaah in congregation. Consider the following Ahadith:
والذي نفسي بيده، لقد هممت أن آمر بحطب فيحتطب، ثم آمر بالصلاة فيؤذن لها، ثم آمر رجلا فيؤم الناس، ثم أخالف إلى رجال فأحرق عليهم بيوتهم [1]
Translation: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said,
“By Him in Whose Hand my life is, I sometimes thought of giving orders for firewood to be collected, then for proclaiming the Adhan for Salat. Then I would appoint an Imam to lead Salat, and then go to the houses of those who do not come to perform Salat in congregation, and set fire to their houses on them.”
قَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ وَسُئِلَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ عَنْ رَجُلٍ، يَصُومُ النَّهَارَ وَيَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ لاَ يَشْهَدُ جُمُعَةً وَلاَ جَمَاعَةً قَالَ هُوَ فِي النَّارِ . قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا بِذَلِكَ هَنَّادٌ حَدَّثَنَا الْمُحَارِبِيُّ عَنْ لَيْثٍ عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ . قَالَ وَمَعْنَى الْحَدِيثِ أَنْ لاَ يَشْهَدَ الْجَمَاعَةَ وَالْجُمُعَةَ رَغْبَةً عَنْهَا وَاسْتِخْفَافًا بِحَقِّهَا وَتَهَاوُنًا بِهَا .[2]
Translation: Mujahid said:
“Ibn Abbas was asked about a man who fasted during the day and stood (in prayers) during the night, but he did not attend the Friday prayer nor congregational prayer. He replied: ‘He is in the Fire.'”
أَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، وَابْنُ، عُمَرَ أَنَّهُمَا سَمِعَا النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ يَقُولُ عَلَى أَعْوَادِهِ “ لَيَنْتَهِيَنَّ أَقْوَامٌ عَنْ وَدْعِهِمُ الْجَمَاعَاتِ أَوْ لَيَخْتِمَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ ثُمَّ لَيَكُونُنَّ مِنَ الْغَافِلِينَ ” .[3]
Translation: Ibn ‘Abbas and Ibn ‘Umar narrated that:
They heard the Prophet say on his pulpit: “People should desist from failing to attend the congregations, otherwise Allah will seal their hearts, and they will be among the negligent.”
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ صَلاَةُ الْجَمَاعَةِ تَفْضُلُ صَلاَةَ الْفَذِّ بِسَبْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ دَرَجَةً ”.[4]
Translation: Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar:
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “The prayer in congregation is twenty seven times superior to the prayer offered by person alone.”
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Aboobakr Siddeeq bin Mufti Amjad Mohammad
Student Darul Iftaa
Azaadville, Johannesburg, South Africa
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
________
[1] موطأ مالك (2 / 177) –
[2] جامع الترمزي – 218#
[3] سنن ابن ماجه – #794
[4] صحيح البخاري – #645
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