“He frowned and turned away because the blind man came to him.”

He was one of the Emigrants, and none of the Emigrants stayed away from congregational prayer except a hypocrite. It thus becomes clear that a believer has no concession to abandon it.

It is also established in the authentic hadith collections that he said:

“I have indeed considered ordering the prayer to be commenced, then appointing a man to lead the people in prayer, then setting out with men carrying bundles of firewood to people who do not attend the prayer, and burning their houses down upon them.”

Another narration states:

“Were it not for the women and children in the houses…”

He thus explained that the only thing preventing him from burning those who stayed away from congregational prayer was the presence of women and children in the houses. Punishing them is impermissible, since congregational prayer is not obligatory upon them.

The claim that this concerned the Friday prayer, or that it was on account of their hypocrisy, is weak. The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—did not kill the hypocrites on account of their hypocrisy; rather, he would punish them only for an outwardly manifest sin. Had staying away from congregational prayer not been a sin deserving punishment, he would not have punished them. The hadith itself makes clear that it concerns staying away from the night and dawn prayers. The hadith of Ibn Umm Maktūm has already been mentioned, along with the fact that he was not granted permission to stay away from congregational prayer.

Furthermore, most of the obligatory elements of prayer are set aside for the sake of congregational prayer, both in the prayer of fear and in other circumstances. Were congregational prayer not obligatory, setting aside some obligations for its sake would not have been commanded, for one is not commanded to set aside obligations for something that is not obligatory.