Is It Compulsory for Men to Pray in the Masjid?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question

In the Hanafi Madhab, is it compulsory for men to pray in the masjid regardless if they live in a Muslim country or not? Are there any restrictions that may apply to men praying in the congregation?

Answer

The position of the Hanafi school is that this is an emphasized sunna (sunna mu’akkada) for men to pray in the mosque. Regularly missing it without a genuine excuse renders one sinful. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

There are no restrictions. Praying in a group is also greatly rewarded, but it’s superior in the masjid. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Whoever purifies himself in his house, then walks to one of Allah’s houses (a mosque) to perform one of the acts made obligatory by Allah, one of his steps will efface sin and the other will raise his rank.” [Muslim]

May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital and he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.