I, and praise be to Allah, am a believing young man who performs the prayer at its appointed times, but there are no mosques in the area where I live.
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The questioner : The listener M.H.A. from Iraq sent a message saying: I, and praise be to Allah, am a believing young man who performs the prayer at its appointed times, but there are no mosques in the area where I live, except for mosques that contain shrines and where congregational prayer is not held. Therefore, I perform the prayer either alone or with a friend if one is available. Is there a sin upon me in this situation? I ask for your guidance. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Yes, the answer to this is to say that it is well known that the stronger opinion among the scholars is that congregational prayer is an individual obligation (fard 'ayn) and that it is obligatory for a person to pray in congregation in the houses of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saidSunan Ibn Majah 791Sahih (Darussalam) This indicates that congregational prayer is an individual obligation (fard 'ayn) for every accountable man. Also indicating this is the saying of Allah the Exalted: [An-Nisa 4:102] So Allah the Exalted commanded congregational prayer in a state of fear, so it is even more so in a state of safety. And Allah commanded both groups to pray in congregation; if congregational prayer were a collective obligation (fard kifayah), the first group would have been sufficient and the second group would not have been needed.
The important point is that it is obligatory for the Muslim to pray with the congregation of Muslims in their mosques. If there are only mosques like those described by the questioner, containing shrines, meaning they were built over graves, then the prayer in them is invalid and it is obligatory to demolish them, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed those who build mosques over graves. This indicates that building mosques over graves is one of the major sins. If this construction is a major sin, then it is not valid for it to be a place for the worship of Allah. So it is obligatory to demolish it and to avoid praying in it. Your prayer in your home in congregation, if it is facilitated for you, or alone if it is not facilitated, is the obligation if there are only mosques of the description you mentioned. Yes, that is right.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. O honorable Shaykh, we have learned the virtue of praying in congregation with the Muslims in the houses of Allah, but we would like to pause at the hadith: "And indeed, a man would be brought, supported between two men" Does this mean that the man is sick?
The Shaykh : Yes. This hadith is narrated by Muslim from Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) describing the state of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). He said: "I have seen us, and none would lag behind it except a hypocrite or a sick man, and indeed a man would be brought" meaning from among the sick, "brought, supported between two men until he is placed in the row" This indicates the eagerness of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) for congregational prayer, to the extent that a person among them would make an effort to go to it to perform its virtue, even if he was excused. But because of their eagerness for it, they did not leave it even in a state of illness where a man is brought, supported between two men. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Yes, the answer to this is to say that it is well known that the stronger opinion among the scholars is that congregational prayer is an individual obligation (fard 'ayn) and that it is obligatory for a person to pray in congregation in the houses of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said
I was thinking of commanding that the call to prayer be given, then I would tell a man to lead the people in prayer, then I would go out with some other men carrying bundles of wood, and go to people who do not attend the prayer, and burn their houses down around them.
لقد هممت أن ءامر بالصلاة فتُقام ثم ءامر رجلا فيصلي بالناس ثم أنطلق برجال معهم حزم من حطب إلى قوم لا يشهدون الصلاة فأحرّق عليهم بيوتهم بالنارAnd when you are among them and lead them in prayer, let a group of them stand [in prayer] with you and let them carry their arms. And when they have prostrated, let them be [in position] behind you and have the other group come forward which has not [yet] prayed and let them pray with you, taking precaution and carrying their arms.
وَإِذا كُنتَ فيهِم فَأَقَمتَ لَهُمُ الصَّلاةَ فَلتَقُم طائِفَةٌ مِنهُم مَعَكَ وَليَأخُذوا أَسلِحَتَهُم فَإِذا سَجَدوا فَليَكونوا مِن وَرائِكُم وَلتَأتِ طائِفَةٌ أُخرى لَم يُصَلّوا فَليُصَلّوا مَعَكَ وَليَأخُذوا حِذرَهُم وَأَسلِحَتَهُمThe important point is that it is obligatory for the Muslim to pray with the congregation of Muslims in their mosques. If there are only mosques like those described by the questioner, containing shrines, meaning they were built over graves, then the prayer in them is invalid and it is obligatory to demolish them, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed those who build mosques over graves. This indicates that building mosques over graves is one of the major sins. If this construction is a major sin, then it is not valid for it to be a place for the worship of Allah. So it is obligatory to demolish it and to avoid praying in it. Your prayer in your home in congregation, if it is facilitated for you, or alone if it is not facilitated, is the obligation if there are only mosques of the description you mentioned. Yes, that is right.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. O honorable Shaykh, we have learned the virtue of praying in congregation with the Muslims in the houses of Allah, but we would like to pause at the hadith: "And indeed, a man would be brought, supported between two men" Does this mean that the man is sick?
The Shaykh : Yes. This hadith is narrated by Muslim from Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) describing the state of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). He said: "I have seen us, and none would lag behind it except a hypocrite or a sick man, and indeed a man would be brought" meaning from among the sick, "brought, supported between two men until he is placed in the row" This indicates the eagerness of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) for congregational prayer, to the extent that a person among them would make an effort to go to it to perform its virtue, even if he was excused. But because of their eagerness for it, they did not leave it even in a state of illness where a man is brought, supported between two men. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.