He was asked about a man who lives near the mosque but does not attend congregational prayer, citing his shop as an excuse.

He replied:

Praise be to Allah. He is to be commanded to pray with the Muslims. If he does not pray, he is to be called upon to repent. If he repents, well and good; otherwise, he is to be put to death.

If he is clearly neglecting prayer, his claim, “I will pray when I have finished,” is not to be accepted. Rather, anyone whose dishonesty has become apparent is not to be taken at his word, and he is to be compelled to comply with what Allah and His Messenger have commanded.

He was asked about two men who disagreed over “praying alone.” One of them said: The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:

“Prayer in congregation is twenty-five times better than prayer offered alone.”

The other said: “Whenever congregational prayer is held somewhere other than a mosque, it is equivalent to praying alone.”

He replied:

Congregational prayer is not equivalent to praying alone. Rather, congregational prayer is better, even when offered somewhere other than a mosque. However, the scholars differed as to whether a person who prays in congregation at home