Salaat is a pillar of Islam

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) narrates that he heard the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) saying:
"Islam is founded on five pillars: bearing witness that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad (Sallallaho
alaihe wasallam) is His servant and apostle: establishment of salaat: paying of Zakaat; performance of Hajj: and fasting in Ramadhaan."

The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) has compared Islam to a canopy resting on five supports. The Kalimah is the central support and the other four pillars of Islam are. so to say, the remaining four supports. one at each corner of the canopy. Without the central support, the canopy cannot possibly stand. and if any one of the corner supports is missing a collapse will result in the defective corner. Now, let us judge for ourselves how far we have kept up the canopy of Islam. Is there really any pillar that is being held in its proper place?

6 VIRTUES SALATH AT MASJID

The Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said:

I had considered ordering for the prayer to be established, then I would order every man to pray and set loose men who have with them logs of wood upon a people who did not come to the prayer and I would burn their houses with the fire. (Bukhari, Muslim)

This clearly indicates that there is no excuse for men to make a congregation at home if they have a Masjid near them and it is possible for them to pray in one.

Imam al-Shafi`i (Allah have mercy on him) said in hisal-Umm: I do not allow anyone who is able to attend the congregational prayer to miss it, unless they have an excuse. [Shafii, al-Umm, 1.154]

Obviously we all have different situations. Some of us live near a Masjid. Some very far. For some of us it is too dangerous to venture out on our own or it maybe that we live in extreme climates etc.

By being ”too far” it is meant that if it is genuinely difficult to get to a Masjid because of how far it is or if it is in such a location that it is very difficult to get to etc. If it is possible to attend with even a little hardship then one should make every effort to do so for their are HUGE rewards in praying at the house of Allah.

However, for those who are unable to pray at the mosque but able to pray in congregation with other Muslims (such as co-workers or one’s wife). They get the reward of praying in congregation if they take the means and establish such congregations at work or at home. Then, when they are able to go to the mosque, they should hasten to do so. If, while doing this, they have the firm and sincere intention that had they been able to go to the mosque they genuinely would have, they get (some or all of the) reward of praying at the mosque itself, as rigorously authentic hadiths of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) clearly explain. [Shurunbulali, Imdad al-Fattah Sharh Nur al-Idah; Tahtawi, Hashiyat al-Maraqi]

So where ever we are whether it is at work, school, shopping centre etc we should try and establish a congregation where possible and with the right intention we would gain immense reward of praying Salaah with congregation.