The Ruling on the Festival Prayer for Men

The Shaykh : As for the ruling on the Festival Prayer for men, the scholars have three opinions. Some scholars said it is a recommended practice (sunnah), some said it is a collective obligation (fard kifayah), and others said it is an individual obligation (fard 'ayn).
Those who said it is a recommended practice (sunnah) cited as evidence that when the man who was informed by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about the five prayers asked, "O Messenger of Allah, is there anything else required of me?" he said: . And those who said it is a public act of worship from the outward signs of Islam argued that the outward signs of Islam are intended to be realized regardless of the specific performer; therefore, it is an obligation due to the command to perform it, but not an individual obligation, because the purpose is to display this sign and for people to go out to the prayer ground so that it is clear that it is a festival. As for those who said it is an individual obligation (fard 'ayn), they said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded going out to it, even for menstruating women, young girls, and those in their private chambers. Since women are commanded to do it, men are all the more so. This latter view is the choice of the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah. He said, may Allah have mercy on him: "The Festival Prayer is an individual obligation (fard 'ayn), and whoever delays it is sinful, even if the collective obligation is fulfilled by others. However, if it is missed by a person, it is not made up, according to the opinion of the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah." Why? He said: "Because it is a congregational prayer, so it is like the Friday prayer. If the Friday prayer is missed by a person, does he make it up? No, he does not make it up, but he prays the midday prayer (Zuhr) because it is an obligation of its specific time, not because it is a substitute for the Friday prayer, but because it is an obligation of its specific time. The Friday prayer, when the congregation is missed and a person does not catch it, is dropped and cannot be performed. But because the midday prayer is an obligation of its specific time, he must pray it. If we say the Festival Prayer is an individual obligation (fard 'ayn) and a person does not catch it, is there an obligatory prayer for its time? No. In that case, it is dropped and nothing is required of him because it was missed. There is no doubt that what the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah held is the strongest of the opinions, and that the Festival Prayer is an individual obligation (fard 'ayn) on every male, and whoever does not attend it is sinful. But if it is missed by him, he does not make it up because it is a congregational prayer, not an individual one. All right."