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Without a Valid ExcuseAllah Most High says,

{The Day that the shin shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to prostrate, but
they shall not beable. Their eyes will be cast down--ignomity will cover them, seeing that
they had been summonedaforetime to bow in adoration, while they were whole, (and
had refused).} (Al-Qalam: 42-43)

Ka'b Al-Ahbar said, this Ayah is only revealed concerning those who miss the
congregational prayers.

Sa'idIbn Al-Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him) said, "Those people heard the call
to prayer and didnot respond while they were whole."

The Prophet (pbuh) said,"By Him in Whose Hands is my soul, I have considered having
wood gathered when the call to prayer ismade and going myself to those who stay back
from attending the congregational prayer to burn theirhouses down upon them. "
In the aforementioned Ayah and hadith there is a severe warning waiting for those who
miss thecongregational prayer without excuse.

Ibn ' Abbas related that the Prophet (pbuh) said,"Whoever hears the caller to prayer and
does not have a valid excuse that withholds him from responding.Someone asked what
is an excuse, Messenger of Allah? He said. "Fear or sickness," will not have hisprayer
accepted i.e., the prayer, which he performed at home.

At-Tirmidhi related on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them)
who was askedabout a man who spends the day fasting and the night praying but he
does not pray in a congregation. Ibn`Abbas answered, if he dies adhering to that, he will
enter the Hell fire. "

Once, a blind man came to the Prophet (pbuh) and submitted,"0 Messenger of Allah, I
have nobody to lead me to mosque, do I have a dispension to pray at home? Thenthe
Prophet permitted him. But when he was going back the Prophet called him and asked,
do you hear thecall to prayer? The man replied, yes. "Therefore respond to it.´ the
Prophet said.´

The same hadith is reported by Abu Dawud as follows: Ibn Umm Maktum came to the
Prophet (pbuh) andsaid,"0 Messenger of Allah, there are large number of reptiles and
beasts in Medina and I am blind, do I have adispension to pray at home? Then the
Prophet (pbuh) said, do you hear the words of the call to prayer(haiyaalasalah,
haiyaalasalah). He said, yes."

The Prophet said, then you have to respond to. Another narration states that,"0
Messenger of Allah, I am a blind man and live far away from the mosque and love an
inconvenientguide, do I have dispension? "Whoever hears the call to prayer and no
excuse withholds him to respondwill not have his prayer accepted. They asked, 0
Messenger of Allah, what is an excuse? He said, fear orsickness. "
"May Allah curse three people: he who leads a group of people who hate him, a woman
who spendsa night angry with her husband, and a man who hears the call to prayer and
does not answer. "

Abu Hurairah said, it is better for one's ears to be filled with molten lead than to hear
the call to prayerand not answer it."

Ali IbnAbiTalib (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "The prayers performed by a
neighbor of amosque are not accepted except in the mosque." Someone asked, who is a
neighbor of a mosque? He replied,he who hears the call to prayer." Ali also said,
whoever hears the call to prayer and does not respondhis prayer will not go further than
his head except if he has an excuse."

IbnMas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him said, whoever likes to meet Allah as a
Muslim should keepon performing the five prayers when the call to them is issued. This
is because, Allah has given yourProphet the traditions of guidance (Sunna) and they (the
five prayers) belong to such traditions. If you prayat home as does the one who remisses
the prayer, then you neglect the Prophet's Sunna. If you neglect theProphet's Sunna you
will be astray. Verily, none of us would miss the congregational prayer but a
wellknownhypocrite or a sick man. I remember that a man would be brought leaning on
two men and put in theraw to attain its reward and escape the sins of missing it."

Performing prayers in congregation is so great as mentioned in Qur'an Allah most high

says,{Before this We wrote in the psalms, after the message given to Moses): "My
servants the righteous, shallinherit the earth.} (AI-Anbiya': 105)

The exegetes said that the righteous servants are those who perform the five prayers in
congregation. Inexplaining Allah's statement,{And we record that which they leave
behind.} (Yasin: 12)

The exegetes said, "What they leave behind" means then steps.The Prophet (pbuh)
said,"Whoever purifies himself (makes his ablution) at home and then goes to one of the
houses of Allah(mosque) to discharge his duty to Allah (to offer obligatory prayers) his
one step towards a mosque wipesout a sin and another step rises his status". If he
continues sitting on prayer -carpet, after prayer is over,and he remains with ablutions,
the angels beseech Allah for his blessings upon him and pray. /' Allah!Forgive him!
Allah have mercy on him.´[Reported by Muslim]

"May I tell you something thereby, Allah will remit your sins, and thereby your position
will be raised.The companions said, "Do tell us 'O Messenger of Allah! He said,
"Performing the ablution properly,going to the mosque frequently for prayers even in
difficult and distressing circumstances and waiting forthe next prayer after one is over.
This is your Jihad in the cause of Allah.´[V
  by Muslim]