What is the ruling on the mosque imam who does not pray Fajr in congregation and says it is not obligatory, and who accepts only the opinion of Ibn Uthaymeen?
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The questioner : May Allah preserve you, Shaykh. There is an imam who gives the Friday sermon but does not pray Fajr with the congregation except rarely. We went to him, spoke with him, and advised him, but he says: "I do not accept anything except your words." He says: "It is not obligatory."
The Shaykh : What is not obligatory?
The questioner : He means the congregational prayer.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : He says: "I am not convinced except by the opinion of Ibn Uthaymeen."
The Shaykh : Fine, tell him: Ibn Uthaymeen greets you and says: The congregational prayer is obligatory. Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, made it obligatory even in a state of fear:[An-Nisa 4:102].
And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Ibn Hibban 10:352.
A blind man asked his permission to pray in his house, so he gave him permission. When the man turned to leave, he said:Sunan Abi Dawud 552Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani).
And he said:Sunan Ibn Majah 797Sahih (Darussalam).
And he said:Sunan Abi Dawud 548Sahih (Al-Albani).
And he advises you, I mean Ibn Uthaymeen, to fear Allah, Mighty and Majestic, to be a good example, to maintain the prayers with the congregation as an obligation, to maintain their regular voluntary prayers (rawatib), and to maintain all voluntary prayers, because that is what raises your status with Allah and with people. Peace be upon him, and may Allah have mercy and blessings upon him.
The Shaykh : What is not obligatory?
The questioner : He means the congregational prayer.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : He says: "I am not convinced except by the opinion of Ibn Uthaymeen."
The Shaykh : Fine, tell him: Ibn Uthaymeen greets you and says: The congregational prayer is obligatory. Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, made it obligatory even in a state of fear:
And when you are among them and lead them in prayer, let a group of them stand [in prayer] with you
وَإِذَا كُنْتَ فِيهِمْ فَأَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ الصَّلاةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ مَعَكَAnd the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Whoever hears the call and does not respond, he has no prayer, except one who has an excuse.
من سمع النداء ولم يجب فلا صلاة له إلا من عذرA blind man asked his permission to pray in his house, so he gave him permission. When the man turned to leave, he said:
He asked: Do you hear summons (adhan)? He said: Yes.
أتسمع النّداء؟ قال: نعم، قال: أجبAnd 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 even if they had to crawl.
أثقل الصّلاة على المنافقين صلاة العشاء وصلاة الفجر، ولو يعلمون ما فيهما لأتوهما ولو حبواAnd he said:
I thought to give orders for arranging prayer in congregation, and then to have the Iqamah called for it, then to order a man to lead the people in prayer, then to go off in company of the people who have bundles of firewood to those people who are not present at the prayer and then to burn down their houses with fire.
لقد هممت أن آمر بالصّلاة فتقام، ثمّ آمر رجلاً فيصلّي بالنّاس، ثم أنطلق معي برجال معهم حزم من حطب إلى قوم لا يشهدون الصلاة فأحرّق عليهم بيوتهم بالنارAnd he advises you, I mean Ibn Uthaymeen, to fear Allah, Mighty and Majestic, to be a good example, to maintain the prayers with the congregation as an obligation, to maintain their regular voluntary prayers (rawatib), and to maintain all voluntary prayers, because that is what raises your status with Allah and with people. Peace be upon him, and may Allah have mercy and blessings upon him.