If it is objected, “But the entire prayer is performed in congregation,” the answer is: Bowing was specifically mentioned because it is through bowing that one catches the prayer. Whoever catches the bowing thereby catches the prostration. He therefore commanded that by which one catches a unit of prayer, just as He said to Mary:

“Be devoutly obedient to your Lord, prostrate, and bow with those who bow.”

Had He said, “Be devoutly obedient with those who are devoutly obedient,” this would have indicated an obligation to join in time for the standing. Had He said, “Prostrate,” this would not have indicated an obligation to join in time for the bowing. By contrast, His words, “And bow with those who bow,” indicate a command to join in time for the bowing and what follows it, but not what precedes it. This is precisely the point.

(As for the Sunnah, there are the widely reported hadiths on this subject, such as the hadith of Abū Hurayrah, recorded by both al-Bukhārī and Muslim, in which the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“I have considered ordering that the prayer be commenced, then appointing a man to lead the people in prayer, and then going to people who do not attend the prayer and burning down their houses with them inside.”

Thus, he contemplated burning those who did not attend the prayer. In another wording, he said:

“The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are the ‘Ishā’ and Fajr prayers. If they knew what reward they contain, they would come to them even if they had to crawl. I have considered ordering that the prayer be commenced…”

The hadith continues. In the Musnad and elsewhere, it reads:

“Were it not for the women and children in the houses, I would order that the prayer be commenced…”

The hadith continues. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, thus explained that he had contemplated burning down the houses with those who did not attend the prayer inside them. He also explained that what prevented him from doing so was solely the presence of women and children, for they are not obliged to attend the prayer. Burning down the houses would have killed people whom it was not permissible to kill. This would have been comparable to carrying out the prescribed punishment on a pregnant woman.