❖ The Ruling on Performing Salah Alone at Home Out of Laziness ❖
Source: Aḥkām wa Masāʾil in the Light of Qur'an and Hadith, Volume 02
Question
Is a person's prayer not accepted if he deliberately prays alone at home out of laziness?✔ Answer
When the mosque is nearby and the Adhān is audible, it is compulsory upon a Muslim to go to the mosque and perform the prayer in congregation. Praying alone at home is not permissible, regardless of whether it is just one person or several.If the mosque is distant and the Adhān cannot be heard, then praying in congregation at home is permissible.
✿ Common Mistake Due to Laziness
Some people, out of laziness, consider praying at home to be sufficient. They rely on the opinion of certain scholars who say that the purpose of congregational prayer is simply collective performance, regardless of location.However, the correct and most sound opinion is that congregational prayer should be observed in the mosque.
✦ Hadith Emphasizing the Importance of Congregation in the Mosque
The Prophet ﷺ said:«وَلَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ آمُرَ بِالصَّلَاةِ فَتُقَامَ ثُمَّ آمُرَ رَجُلًا فَيُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ ثُمَّ أَنْطَلِقَ بِرِجَالٍ مَعَهُمْ حُزَمٌ مِنْ حَطَبٍ إِلَى قَوْمٍ لَا يَشْهَدُونَ الصَّلَاةَ فَأُحَرِّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ بُيُوتَهُمْ بِالنَّارِ»
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 644, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 651)
"I considered ordering the prayer to be established, appointing someone to lead the people in it, then going with men carrying bundles of wood to burn the homes of those who do not attend the congregational prayer."
✔ Conclusion
Even if a person performs prayer at home, he is still obligated to pray in the mosque in congregation, unless he has a valid excuse—such as the mosque being far and inaccessible.وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ
