Some people say: If congregational prayer were obligatory, would the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) have left it in order to burn their houses down with fire?

The questioner : Some people, when we tell them about this hadith, say: Yes, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “I have appointed a man to lead the people in prayer, so go to these people.” They say: If the prayer were obligatory, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) would not have left it and gone to these people to burn them down.

The Shaykh : Yes. May Allah guide them to follow the ambiguous verses. They say: If it were obligatory, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would not have gone to burn their houses down with fire. Well, did the Messenger say, “I am commanding a man to lead the people in prayer, and I am going to these people while they are in congregational prayer”? It is possible, but the apparent meaning of the hadith is that he goes in this case to burn their houses down with fire. So we say this falls under the category of removing evil. Those entrusted with removing evil, if they go and interrupt the people’s congregation to remove the evil, there is no harm, so there is no blame.

The questioner : He went with a group, so they pray in congregation.

The Shaykh : Yes, and it may also be said like this: He set out with men who had bundles of firewood, and they also pray in congregation.