If someone does not perform salah in congregation even if he/she does not have any excuses, is his/her salah accepted?

If someone does not perform salah in congregation even if he/she does not have any excuses, is his/her salah accepted?

Dear Brother / Sister,

According to the Hanafi,Maliki and some Shafii scholars, to perform salah in congregation is “sunnah al-muakkadah”. For, if performing salah in congregation were  fard, performing salah alone would not  be allowable.

The proof of these scholars is the following hadith: “To perform salah in congregation is 27 (in another narration 25) times better than performing alone.” (Bukhari, Buyu, 49; Muslim, Masajid, 345,346; Abu Dawud, Salah, 47; Ibn Majah, Masajid, 16)

According to the most of the Shafii scholars, to perform salah in congregation is fard al-kifayah. Accordingly, if the salah is not performed in congregation in a quarter, the whole quarter dwellers become sinful; if some of the perform it, the others get rid of the sin. As is seen, this view is not so different from the previous one.

According to the Hanbali Madhhab, to perform salah in congregation is “fard al-ayn”. According to this view, the one who does not perform the salah in congregation without any excuse becomes sinful. However, the salah performed alone is valid. (see W. Zuhayli, al-Fiqhu’l-Islami, 2/149-151)

The meaning of the hadith mentioned in the question should be as follows: “The salah of the person whose house is next to the mosque cannot be outside the mosque.” This hadith narrated by Daraqutni is weak. (see ibid)

According to the scholars who take this hadith into account, it does not mean that “the salah is not valid”; it means “the salah is not  a perfect salah with full thawabs.”

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