And it is an individual obligation according to most of the early generations and the leading scholars of hadith, such as Ahmad, Ishāq and others, as well as some followers of al-Shāfi‘ī and others. Other groups among the followers of al-Shāfi‘ī and others regard it as a communal obligation; this is the preferred view among al-Shāfi‘ī’s followers. A man who persists in abandoning congregational prayer is a man of ill conduct: he is to be rebuked and deterred from doing so. Indeed, he is to be punished for it, and his testimony is to be rejected, even if congregational prayer is considered a strongly emphasized sunnah.

As for someone known for sinful conduct who neglects prayer, he falls within Allah’s words:

“But they were succeeded by generations who neglected prayer and followed their desires; so they will meet with ruin.”

He must be punished for this in a manner that induces him to abandon forbidden acts and fulfil his obligations. If someone is the regular imam of a mosque, and congregational prayer there cannot be maintained without him, his praying there is better than his praying elsewhere, even if the congregation elsewhere is larger.

Anyone known to neglect obligations or commit forbidden acts openly deserves to be shunned and denied greetings as a disciplinary measure until he repents. And Allah, glorified is He, knows best.