Continuation of the tape from the explanation of the chapter on congregational prayer from Bulugh al-Maram.

The reciter: The chapter on congregational prayer and leading the prayer: It was narrated from Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim. And from both of them from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): . And similarly from al-Bukhari from Abu Sa'id, and he said: . And from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim. The wording is from al-Bukhari.

The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy. The author, al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar, said in his book Bulugh al-Maram: The chapter "on congregational prayer and leading the prayer" means that this chapter is dedicated to two things: congregation and leading the prayer. Congregation means: the gathering of people in one place for the five daily prayers. It is obligatory for adult, free men. The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed on whether it is a condition for the validity of the prayer or an obligation whose abandonment is sinful while the prayer remains valid. Some of the scholars said: It is a condition for the validity of the prayer, and that a person who is able and for whom congregation is obligatory, if he abandons it without an excuse, his prayer is rejected and not accepted no matter how much he prays. This is the view of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) and a group of scholars, and it is a narration from Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him), because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: .
The second opinion is: It is obligatory, but the prayer is valid without it, albeit with sin. This opinion is the correct one, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . If it were not valid, there would be no virtue in it, neither little nor much. So the correct view is that it is obligatory, an individual obligation for free, adult men, and that if they abandon it without an excuse, they are sinful. And if there is a legitimate excuse, they are not sinful. Then those who hold the view of obligation and that the prayer is valid with sin differed on whether it must be prayed in the mosques or whether it is permissible to pray it in the houses, meaning: if a group gathers in a house and prays in congregation, they are not sinful. Rather, the sin is on the one who prays alone in his house. As for its being in the mosques, some of them said: It is a collective obligation, and some said: It is a recommended practice. But the stronger opinion is: It is obligatory in the mosques. And it is not permissible to be absent from it in the mosque. The evidence for this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) swore an oath, and he is the truthful, the righteous, without needing to swear, may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him . He said: to a group of people. And he did not say: except if they pray in congregation in their houses. This indicates that it is obligatory for the prayer to be in the mosques in congregation. Then, congregational prayer contains much good, it has this virtue, it is better than the prayer of the individual by twenty-seven degrees. And if a person is told: if you bring your goods to another country, you will profit one dirham in every ten, he would find that he would go through hardship and ease for the sake of this profit. So how about this great profit in congregational prayer?! Ten is two hundred and seventy. And one is twenty-seven, a great reward that a person deprives himself of despite his ability to do so, and despite the fact that he will need this reward on a day when he has no dirham or dinar, and no relative or kin will benefit him. Only his righteous deeds will benefit him. So the wise person, let alone the believer, prefers profit over loss. So how if the profit is great?
Among the benefits of congregation: it is a cause for affection and love. For if you see a man attending the congregation, you see him in the mosque, you love him and become accustomed to him. And you know that you and he are on the same ship.
And among them - meaning among the benefits of congregational prayer - is that it teaches the ignorant. How many a person did not study how to pray, but when he was consistent with the congregation with the Muslims, he learned how to pray! For this reason, if you asked a boy how to pray, he would not know. But you would find him praying with the congregation, and if he prays alone, he also prays as he prays with the congregation. So in it is the benefit of teaching people.
And among them: - among its benefits - displaying the symbols of Islam, and prayer is one of the greatest symbols. If people prayed in their houses, it would not be clear that this land is a land of Islam. And that is because if they prayed in their houses, they would not need to build mosques. So the land would remain without mosques and without a symbol that is displayed. And there would be no distinction between it and the lands of disbelief - may Allah protect us from that -.
And it has great benefits that may not have enough time to elaborate on. But the summary is: it is obligatory for a person to pray with the congregation in the mosques, and if he does not do so, he is sinful except with an excuse. And Allah is the One who grants success.