pray in my home?’ He asked, ‘Do you hear the call to prayer?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘I can grant you no concession.’” This explicitly establishes the obligation of congregational prayer, even though the man was a believer.

As for their argument based on a man’s prayer in congregation being superior to his prayer alone, there are two responses, turning on the validity of praying alone without an excuse. Those who consider his prayer valid say:

Congregational prayer is obligatory, but it is not a condition for the prayer’s validity. The same applies to the prayer’s timing: if someone delays the ‘Asr prayer until the sunlight turns yellow, he is sinful, yet his prayer remains valid. Indeed, the same applies even if he delays it until only enough time for one unit of prayer remains, as established in the Sahīh:

“Whoever catches one unit of the ‘Asr prayer has caught the ‘Asr prayer.”

They further argue that describing one act as superior does not establish that the inferior act is permissible. Allah Most High says:

“When the call is made for prayer on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave off trade. That is better for you.”

Thus, He describes hastening to the Friday prayer as better than trading, although hastening to it is obligatory and trading is forbidden. Allah Most High also says:

“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their chastity. That is purer for them.”

Those who hold that prayer performed alone is invalid unless there is an excuse cite the evidence establishing the obligation of congregational prayer. They argue that whatever is established as obligatory in prayer is a condition for its validity, like all its other obligatory elements.