by day and stands in prayer at night, but attends neither Friday nor congregational prayers. He replied:

“He is in the Fire.”

In the two Sahīh collections, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is reported to have said:

“People must stop neglecting Friday prayers, or Allah will surely seal their hearts, and then they will be among the heedless.”

He also said:

“Whoever neglects three Friday prayers out of carelessness, without an excuse, Allah will seal his heart.”

In the Sahīh and the Sunan collections, it is reported:

“A blind man said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have a guide who does not always assist me as I need. Can you grant me a concession to pray in my home?’ He said, ‘Do you hear the call to prayer?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Then respond to it.’ In another version, he said, ‘I find no concession for you.’”

Friday prayer is obligatory by agreement of the imams. Congregational prayer is also obligatory according to many scholars—indeed, according to most of the early generations. There are two opinions as to whether it is a condition for the validity of prayer. The stronger of the two accords with the Prophet’s statement reported in Sunan Abī Dāwūd:

“Whoever hears the call and does not respond, without an excuse, has no prayer.”

A group of scholars holds that congregational prayer is a collective obligation. Another opinion is that it is an emphatically recommended Sunnah. There is no disagreement among the scholars that a man’s prayer in congregation is twenty-five times better than his prayer alone