What is the Hanafi fiqh ruling in praying in the mosque? Is it Fard Ain to pray in the mosque?

1. Salaat in the Musjid with the Jamaa`h, according to the terminology of%0D%0Athe Fuqahaa (Jurists) is Sunnah Muakkadah (emphasised Sunnah ), thus, if a%0D%0Aman does not go to the Musjid for Jamaa`h and offers Salaat at home without%0D%0Aa valid Shar'ee excuse, for example, illness, rain, etc. his prayer will be%0D%0Avalid, but incurs the displeasure of Allah Ta'ala for having neglected a%0D%0Agreat Sunnah. (Ma'ariful Qur'aan vol.1 pg.216)%0D%0A2. If a person hears the Adhaan, it will be Waajib for that person to%0D%0Aperform Salaat with Jamaat.%0D%0A3. If a person is unable to perform Salaat with Jamaa`h because of his work%0D%0Asituation, he should look for an alternate employment where he will be able%0D%0Ato perform his Salaat with Jamaa`h. A person in university must try to%0D%0Aperform Jamaa`h with his colleagues after the lessons.%0D%0A%0D%0AImportance of Salaat%0D%0A`Iqaamah` does not refer to merely performing Salaat. Aside from exercising%0D%0Adue care in the performance of the fardh, wajib and Mustahab actions of%0D%0ASalaat, `Iqaamah` also includes constancy and punctuality in Salaat. (Ma'%0D%0Aariful Quraan Vol.1 Pg.111)%0D%0A%0D%0AMufti Muhammed Shafi' Saheb (R.A) writes: "An eminent group of the Sahaba,%0D%0ATa'abieen and the Jurists are of the opinion that Salaat with jamaat is%0D%0Acompulsory and to omit it is a sin. In fact a group among the Sahaba negate%0D%0Athe validity of the Salaat performed individually without a valid Shari'%0D%0Aexcuse. (Ma'ariful Quraan)%0D%0A%0D%0AThe Ahaadith are replete with warnings for those who deliberately (without a%0D%0Avalid Shari' excuse) forego Salaat with jamaat. In one Hadith Rasulullah%0D%0A(Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) is reported to have said: "By that Being who%0D%0Ahas control over my life, I intend gathering some firewood. I would then%0D%0Ainstruct somebody to call out the Azaan and perform the Salaat while I go%0D%0Aand set fire to the homes of those people who perform their Salaat in their%0D%0Ahouses without any proper excuse." (Sahih Bukhari Vol.1 Pg.89)%0D%0A%0D%0AAnother Hadith declares: "Had it not been for the women and children, I%0D%0Awould have had someone perform the Salaat and instructed some of the%0D%0Ayoungsters to go and burn down their homes." (Mishkaat Pg.97 from Musnad%0D%0AAhmed) In yet another Hadith Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) is%0D%0Areported to have said: "The most difficult Salaats on the hypocrites are%0D%0AEsha and Fajr. However, had they known the reward of performing those Salaat%0D%0Awith jamaat, they would have performed them even if they had to crawl to the%0D%0AMusjid." (Sahih Bukhari Vol.1 Pg.90)%0D%0A%0D%0AIn a narration of Abu Dawood, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) is to%0D%0Areported to have said: " He who hears the azaan but fails to go the Musjid,%0D%0Awithout a valid (Shari') excuse, the Salaat that he has performed (at home)%0D%0Ais not accepted." Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) was asked: "What%0D%0Ais a valid excuse?" He replied: "Illness or fear." (Mishkaat Pg.97)%0D%0A%0D%0AThe illness and fear mentioned above refers to such fear and illness that%0D%0Aactively prevents one from joining the congregation for Salaat.%0D%0A%0D%0AOnce a blind man came to Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) and said:%0D%0A"O Rasul of Allah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam), I have no guide. Can I%0D%0Aperform my Salaat at home." Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam)%0D%0Apermitted him to do so. When the blind man turned to leave, Rasulullah%0D%0A(Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) called him back and asked: "Can you hear the%0D%0Aazaan (at home)?" He replied in the affirmative. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu%0D%0AAlayhi Wasallam) then said: "In that case you must attend the jamaat%0D%0A(regardless of your situation)." (Sahih Muslim Vol.1 Pg.232)%0D%0A%0D%0AThe sheer importance of jamaat is clearly highlighted in this Hadith. How%0D%0Acan the lacksadaisical attitude which we entertain in this regard be%0D%0Atolerated!?%0D%0A%0D%0AIbn Masood (Radhiallaahu Anhu) says; "The one who wishes to meet Allah%0D%0ATa'ala as a Muslim on the day of judgement, should be punctual in the%0D%0Aperformance of his Salaat on hearing the azaan. Allah Ta'ala has prescribed%0D%0Athe clear ways of guidance for his Rasul (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam).%0D%0AThese Salaat too are among those ways of guidance. If you too will adopt the%0D%0Away of those who perform their Salaat at their homes, you will be abandoning%0D%0Athe way of Rasul (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam), hence you would be led%0D%0Aastray. The one who performs wudhu and leaves for the Musjid, for every step%0D%0Ahe takes he gets one reward, one of his sins are forgiven and his stages are%0D%0Aelevated in Jannah. In the time of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam)%0D%0Aonly an open hypocrite would not join the jamaat. Even the sick person would%0D%0Abe carried by two people and brought to the Musjid to perform his Salaat%0D%0Awith jamaat. (Ibid)%0D%0A%0D%0AThe abovementioned Ahaadith imbibe within us a strong will to make an%0D%0Aall-out effort towards self-rectification as well as towards attempting to%0D%0Aimprove the condition of the Ummah, the first and immediate focus of our%0D%0Aefforts being on Salaat.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhile the warnings are severe for neglecting Salaat with jamaat, likewise%0D%0Athe rewards for performing Salaat with congregation are also tremendous.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe Salaat performed with jamaat is twenty seven times more superior than%0D%0Athe Salaat performed individually. (Sahih Bukhari Vol.1 Pg.89) Similarly,%0D%0Athe one who performs his Esha Salaat with jamaat gets the reward for having%0D%0Aspent half the night in ibaadat(worship). If he then performs his Fajr%0D%0ASalaat with jamaat, he gets the reward for spending the entire night in%0D%0Aibaadat. (Sahih Muslim Vol.1 Pg.232) A little effort will not only save one%0D%0Afrom the excruciating punishment of the hereafter but will also earn one%0D%0Agreat reward.%0D%0A%0D%0Aand Allah Ta'ala Knows Best%0D%0A%0D%0AMufti Ebrahim Desai%0D%0AFATWA DEPT.%0D%0A%0D%0A