my grave a place of festivity, and send blessings upon me wherever you are, for your blessings reach me.”

The point here is that the leading scholars of the Muslims agree that performing the five daily prayers in mosques is among the greatest acts of worship and the noblest means of drawing near to Allah. Whoever considers foregoing them better than performing them, preferring seclusion and solitude to the five daily prayers in congregation, or regards supplication and prayer at grave shrines as better than in mosques, has cast off the bonds of religion and followed a path other than that of the believers.

“Whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him and follows a path other than that of the believers, We will leave him to what he has chosen and burn him in Hell—what an evil destination!”

Beyond this, however, scholars have differed over whether congregational prayer is an individual obligation, a collective obligation, or an emphasized Sunnah. There are three views:

One view is that it is only an emphasized Sunnah. This is the position commonly attributed to the followers of Abū Hanīfah, most followers of Mālik, and many followers of al-Shāfiʿī. It is also mentioned as one reported position of Ahmad.

Another view is that it is a collective obligation. This is the preferred position in the school of al-Shāfiʿī, the view of some followers of Mālik, and one view within the school of Ahmad.

A third view is that it is an individual obligation. This is the position explicitly stated by Ahmad