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I read a hadith that said Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) wanted to burn the houses of those who prayed at home. So this indicated that it is wajib to pray in congregation. I also read another hadith that said the salah of those who hear the azhan but does not come to the mosque will be invalid. But I live in a non-muslim country so there is no azhan here. So I usually pray at home. Will my salah be valid or not?

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  • "I read a hadith that said Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) wanted to burn the houses of those who prayed at home. ". Source ? It'll definitely be valid btw.
    – SpiderRico
    Apr 2, 2016 at 12:55
  • It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are ‘Isha’ and Fajr. If they knew what (reward) is in them, they would come to them even if they had to crawl. I was thinking of ordering that the call to prayer be given, then I would tell a man to lead the people in prayer, and I would go out with men carrying bundles of wood to people who do not come to the prayers, and I would burn their houses with fire around them.” islamqa.info/en/8918
    – user16329
    Apr 2, 2016 at 19:40
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    islamqa is an ambivalent site as it only offers a primarily salafi view!
    – Medi1Saif
    Apr 5, 2016 at 6:34
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    I'm not scholar, but if you couldn't manage to find a Mosque to pray in congregation, you will not be asked for some thing beyond your capabilities.
    – AlFagera
    Apr 7, 2016 at 5:11
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    @curiosity The majority of the scholars understand that the meaning of that hadith of the "burn" the houses of those who prayed at home was meant for the monafiqon. A great video (in arabic) about the topic here: youtube.com/watch?v=So1PsAwKQKo
    – Kilise
    Apr 15, 2016 at 21:55

2 Answers 2

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Ahadith advising us to pray at home

There are enough ahadith in which we are asked to offer some of our prayers at home:

From Sahih al-Bukahri and Sahih Muslim and via an other chain and here for example from Sunan an-Nasa-i.

The Hadith mentioned in this Post could be added to the above mentioned ones as it indicates that one even should pray at home! Why? because it compare's a house where people don't worship Allah with a grave and dhikr or reciting Quran is the easiest kind of worship, as one could do it anytime and anywhere!

Recommendation of Scholars

Scholars tend to say that it is better and recommended (mustahab, mandub) to pray at least (all) voluntary prayers at home!

Here a few clear evidences

A "marfu' hadith" - or maybe a saying of a Sahabi (May Allah be pleased with him)- from Muwatta' Malik which you may find in a longer Version in Sahih al-Bukahri an other Version in Sahih al-Bukahri said it was about night prayers in Ramadan, you may find the same hadith or statement in Sahih Muslim and Sunan abi Dawod.
And here is a commentary on the statement from al-Muwatta' in Arabic.

And here's a statement of ibn Qudamah from this article about voluntary prayers:

يقول الإمام ابن قدامة: "والتطوع في البيت أفضل؛ لأن الصلاة في البيت أقرب إلى الإخلاص، وأبعد من الرياء، وهو من عمل السر"

(My own translation take it with care!)

Offering the voluntary prayers at home is better, because the praying at home is nearer sincerity, and further from adulation and it's among the secret worships

This Fatwa of Malik (See also this Fatwa of a Sahabi) shows that there's no harm in praying fard/farz prayers at home!

I also read a long report of Sheikh Shuraim about Jumu'a prayer where he ends up that the Imam shouldn't do nafl prayer when finishing, and if he did he shouldn't pray more than two raka-a and leave two for praying them at home.

And finally a Fatwa from islamqa.

Comment on the Fatwa in OP and what to do in a non-Muslim country

Note that any of these scholars who are saying that it is wajib to pray at a mosque or in congregation -at the mosque- has lived his whole life in dar al Islam so their point of view is based on the assumption that those people who asked live in a Muslim society!
And some people forget that a prayer in congregation can be done at home at any place, while it would be preferable to do it in a mosque especially if you hear the adhan!

On the other hand you say you are not in a Muslim country so, then the question would be can you pray at a mosque? can you pray in congregation at home/office/work ...?

You should do your best to pray farz/fard prayers in congregation, if possible at a mosque! Among the prayers which are very recommended to be done at a Mosque there are especially the sobh (fajr fard/farz) and 'isha' prayer because of the Hadith you mentioned or this Hadith which you may find in Sahih al-Bukahri, Sahih Muslim and this longer version from Muwatta' Malik and other Sunnah Collections, you can also check some sayings of Sahabi in Muwatta' Malik here and here.

Whether your prayer would be valid and accepted by Allah or not (See here the answer of ibn 'Omar (May Allah be pleased with both of them) on a similar question)... it's not up to me to decide, but I would like to say that from a fiqh point of view any prayer which is done according to the ahkam of purity and prayer is valid, but of course a prayer in a mosque or in congregation would let you gain more thawab!

And Allah knows best!

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  • I'm sorry but do you have any source that tells us that scholars say we should pray at home? I haven't seen anything like this. Thanks.
    – user16329
    Apr 4, 2016 at 17:32
  • @curiosity even if i think that the ahadith I've quoted are evidence enough i added new evidences and ahadith to support my claims!
    – Medi1Saif
    Apr 5, 2016 at 6:33
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    Great answer. There is a great video (a Maliki scholar) refuting the view that you may not pray home: youtube.com/watch?v=So1PsAwKQKo
    – Kilise
    Apr 15, 2016 at 21:43
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    @Kilise I'm not sure to what extent he is Maliki, but I knew his teacher (May Allah be merciful to him) of the Maliki fiqh like Mukhtasar Khalil and ar-Rissala and al-Morshid al mu'yn, youtube.com/watch?v=o2hZh4NpQe4, as I used to visit his lessons and learned Arabic (grammar) at his home. At least Said al-Kamli is a great maybe there are only a few scholars like him nowadays!
    – Medi1Saif
    Apr 22, 2016 at 7:57
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    @Medi1Saif What a great opportunity you had! May God reward him for his work.
    – Kilise
    Apr 22, 2016 at 8:46
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None of the scholars says to pray fardh salah (obligatory) at home, if anyone do they are against Quran & ahadith, since there are many quranic verses telling to pray with them who bow down and many ahadith as well..

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  • This is nothing but a confusing answer draft which lacks any kind of evidence to support the given claims.
    – Medi1Saif
    Feb 25, 2018 at 14:14

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