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﴿ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴾

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The Obligation of the One Who Misses the Congregational Prayer

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Question:
The questioner says: There is a recurring problem, and I do not know who is responsible for it. He says the situation is deplorable and unbearable. He says there is a recurring problem, and he does not know who is responsible for it, as the situation is deplorable and silence about it is not tolerable. That is, there are people living near the mosque who, unfortunately, do not attend the congregational prayer at all. Others are only seen in Ramadan, specifically at the beginning of it, and then they stop. He says it is also observed that the mosque congregation’s role in this matter is passive. He asks for a word of guidance and advice to solve this problem.

Answer:
The congregational prayer is obligatory for men. It is obligatory for men as an individual obligation. It is obligatory for whoever hears the call to prayer to attend and pray, whether he is near the mosque or far from it, as long as he hears the call. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Whoever hears the call to prayer and does not respond, he has no prayer.من سمع النداء فلم يجب فلا صلاة له.
Al-Mustadrak lil-Hakim 5:147

he was asked what an excuse consisted of and replied that it was fear or illnessإلا من عذر. قالوا وما العذر؟ قال خوف أو مرض.
Sunan Abi Dawud 551
So, whoever hears the call to prayer and is not prevented from attending by fear or illness must pray with the congregation. It is obligatory for whoever knows that a man does not pray with the congregation and remains in his house to rebuke him.
It is obligatory for those around the mosque and the mosque congregation to confront him, rebuke him, and report him until he prays. If he is a tenant, it is not permissible for the landlord to rent to people who abandon the congregational prayer and bring them near the mosque. This is not permissible because it is cooperation in sin and aggression, and it is condoning what is wrong.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) once checked on his Companions and asked, "Is so-and-so present? Is so-and-so present?" They said, "No, O Messenger of Allah." He said:
The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are the 'Isha' prayer and the Fajr prayer. If only they knew what (reward) there is in them, they would come to them evenإن أثقل الصلاة الصلاة على المنافقين صلاة العشاء وصلاة الفجر ولو يعلمون ما فيهما لأتوهما ولو
Sunan Ibn Majah 797Sahih (Darussalam)
He described them as hypocrites for whom the congregational prayer is burdensome. This is from the hypocrites, and a Muslim is not pleased to be a hypocrite. Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I have seen us, and none would miss it except a known hypocrite whose hypocrisy was well-known." And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) intended to burn down the houses of those who missed the congregational prayer with fire. If it were not for the women and children in them, he would have burned them down on them.
It is not permissible for a Muslim who is healthy in his body and safe in his path to miss the congregational prayer without an excuse. It is not permissible for whoever knows about a man to remain silent about him and leave him alone. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
He who amongst you sees something abominable should modify it with the help of his hand; and if he has not strength enough to do it, then he should do it with his tongue, and if he has not strength enough to do it, (even) then he should (abhor it) from his heartمن رأى منكم منكرا فليغيره بيده، فإن لم يستطع فبلسانه، فإن لم يستطع فبقلبه،
Sahih Muslim 49a
And that is the weakest of faith,وذلك أضعف الإيمان،
It is not permissible to condone what is wrong and remain silent about it, because this exposes everyone to danger. If a sin is hidden, it only harms its perpetrator. But if it becomes apparent and is not rebuked, its punishment encompasses everyone. Allah the Exalted said:
And fear a trial which will not strike those who have wronged among you exclusively, and know that Allah is severe in penalty.وَاتَّقُوا فِتْنَةً لَّا تُصِيبَنَّ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مِنكُمْ خَاصَّةً وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ
[Al-Anfal 8:25]
Yes.
Source مجالس رمضان 1430هـ - 01 — alfawzan.live (18:14)

The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.

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