Nasai

858. Commentary:

➊ It is understood from this that the prayer of a single person is also valid, even if he performs it at home, provided there is an excuse. Otherwise, abandoning the congregational prayer without a valid excuse is a sin. Also, congregation is not a condition (for validity) as is the position of the Zahiri school. In any case, in the presence of an excuse, the usual reward is granted.

➋ If a person performs the prayer alone thinking that he will not catch the congregation, or that the congregation has already finished, or perhaps he will not be able to reach the mosque, etc., and then he comes to the mosque and finds the congregational prayer, he should repeat the prayer with the congregation so that he may attain the reward of congregation. The Hanafi scholars do not consider it permissible to repeat three prayers: Maghrib, Fajr, and Asr, because the prayer performed afterwards would be considered supererogatory (nafl). Supererogatory prayers are not permissible after Fajr and Asr. In the case of repeating Maghrib, it would become three units of supererogatory prayer, whereas this is a specific ruling. The prohibition of supererogatory prayers after Asr and Fajr is general. The general can be restricted by the specific. As for the issue of three units of supererogatory prayer, after the command of the Shari‘ah, the prohibition no longer remains. Furthermore, if repeating these prayers was prohibited, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would have stated this explicitly, because making an exception for most (prayers) is not appropriate. If it were necessary or permissible to repeat only two prayers, then only those two would have been named, because clarification was necessary here and there was a possibility of misunderstanding. The fact that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not clarify this is evidence that any prayer can be repeated. This is a specific ruling and will take precedence over the general.