Congregational Prayer

An advice to whom who fails to perform the congregational prayer (in the mosque)

My Muslim brother! I ask Allah, Most Generous, Lord of the Magnificent Throne, to endow you with His help, relieve you with His support, make you from among the happy in the world and the hereafter, and of those whose habit is to give thanks when receiving a grace, patient when tried by a calamity, and pray for forgiveness when sinning, and to help you remember Him, be grateful to Him, and worship Him with good worship.

My kind brother!What aggrieves me, aches my soul, and pains my heart is your insistence not to perform the congregational prayer in the Masjid, given your good health, wellbeing, mind, hearing, seeing, awareness and knowledge. You are surely aware that you are created only to worship Allah, and prayer is the mother of acts of worship. Of course you know that the five prayers are obligatory on each rational Muslim who has attained the age of puberty, except the menstruating or confined (being in parturition) woman; and that it is due in all states of health and sickness, residence and journey, security and fear, as much as lies within one’s capacity.

The Messenger of Allah, Prayers and Peace of Allah be upon him, said: “You should pray standing. But if you could not do, then, pray as sitting. But if you could not do, then, pray as on your side.” [Al-Bukhari, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and At-Tirmizi] (If you could not do then pray when lying) Allâh burdens not a person beyond his scope. [Narrated by Ibn Mulqin. Tuhfat Al-Muhtajj p.286. Authentic]
 

It may have come to your knowledge, that it is due on the Muslim man to perform the (five obligatory) prayers at their prescribed fixed times in congregation in the Masjid for which they are built and the Athan ordained: {In houses (mosques) which Allâh has ordered to be raised (to be cleaned, and to be honoured), in them His Name is remembered [i.e. Adhan, Iqamah, Salât (prayers), invocations, recitation of the Qur’ân etc.]} [Surat An-Nur 24:36]
 

Transliteration: Fee buyootin athina Allahu an turfaAAa wayuthkara feehaismuhuFee buyootin athina Allahu an turfa’a wayuthkara feeha ismuhu

{The Mosques of Allâh shall be maintained only by those who believe in Allâh and the Last Day, perform As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât)} [Surat Al-Taubah 9:18]
 

Transliteration: Innama ya’muru masajida Allahi man amana billahi waalyawmi alakhiri waaqama alssalat

You also know that prayer expiates sins and misdeeds, and forbids evildoings and immoralities; that the one who leaves prayer deemed as an infidel, sentenced to death, and deprived of marrying from any Muslim woman. If he dies in a state of disbelief because of leaving the prayer, his dead body neither washed, nor shrouded, nor buried in the Muslim graves, and no funeral prayer is due to him, unless he repents, and Allah accepts his repentance. He is ever accepting of repentance, Most Merciful. Surely, to return to the right is better than to persist in falsehood.

You also know that the life is limited, the breaths are counted, and death comes suddenly, and there is nothing after death except Paradise in abiding bliss or Hellfire in eternal punishment, may Allah Almighty give us and all the Muslims refuge from it. Leaving prayer is among the causes of entering Hellfire. In confirmation of that, Allah Almighty said:

{"What has caused you to enter Hell?" (42) They will say: "We were not of those who used to offer the Salât (prayers)} [Surat Al-Muddaththir 74:42-43]
 

Transliteration: Ma salakakum fee saqar (42) Qaloo lam naku mina almusalleen

{O you who believe! Ward off yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones.} [Surat At-Tahrim 66:6]
 

Transliteration: Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo qoo anfusakum wa’ahleekum naran waqooduha alnnasu waalhijarah

{And enjoin As-Salât (the prayer) on your family, and be patient in offering them [i.e. the Salât (prayers)]} [Taa-Haa: 20:132]
 

Transliteration: Wa’mur ahlaka bialssalati waistabir ‘alayha

{Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) to ‘Ibâdî (My slaves) who have believed, that they should perform As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât )} [Surat Ibrahim 14:31]
 

Transliteration: Qul li’ibadiya allatheena amanoo yuqeemoo alssalata

{34. And those who guard their Salât (prayers) well. 35. Such shall dwell in the Gardens (i.e. Paradise), honoured.} [Al-Ma'aarij 70:34-35]
 

Transliteration: Waallatheena hum ‘ala salatihim yuhafithoon (34) Ola’ika fee jannatin mukramoon

O Allah! Make us and all the Muslims among those who carefully maintain the prayers, to be honored with the bliss of the Gardens (of Paradise), by Your mercy, O the Most Merciful of those who have mercy, the Ever-Living, Sustainer of [all] existence, Lord of Majesty and Honor.

Prayers and Peace of Allah be upon Mohammad, and upon all his family and Companions.