Major Sins by Imam Shamsu ed-Deen Dhahabi

Allah Most High says, {The Day that the shin shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to prostrate, but they shall not be able. Their eyes will be cast down--ignomity will cover them, seeing that they had been summoned aforetime 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'id Ibn Al-Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him) said, "Those people heard the call to prayer and did not 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 is made and going myself to those who stay back from attending the congregational prayer to burn their houses down upon them. " In the aforementioned Ayah and hadith there is a severe warning waiting for those who miss the congregational 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 his prayer 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 asked about 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? Then the Prophet permitted him. But when he was going back the Prophet called him and asked, do you hear the call 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) and said, "0 Messenger of Allah, there are large number of reptiles and beasts in Medina and I am blind, do I have a dispension to pray at home? Then the Prophet (pbuh) said, do you hear the words of the call to prayer (haiyaala salah, haiyaala salah). 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 inconvenient guide, do I have dispension? "Whoever hears the call to prayer and no excuse withholds him to respond will not have his prayer accepted. They asked, 0 Messenger of Allah, what is an excuse? He said, fear or sickness. " "May Allah curse three people: he who leads a group of people who hate him, a woman who spends a 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 prayer and not answer it." Ali Ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "The prayers performed by a neighbor of a mosque 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 respond his prayer will not go further than his head except if he has an excuse." Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him said, whoever likes to meet Allah as a Muslim should keep on performing the five prayers when the call to them is issued. This is because, Allah has given your Prophet the traditions of guidance (Sunna) and they (the five prayers) belong to such traditions. If you pray at home as does the one who remisses the prayer, then you neglect the Prophet's Sunna. If you neglect the Prophet's Sunna you will be astray. Verily, none of us would miss the congregational prayer but a wellknown hypocrite or a sick man. I remember that a man would be brought leaning on two men and put in the raw 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, shall inherit the earth.} (AI-Anbiya': 105)

The exegetes said that the righteous servants are those who perform the five prayers in congregation. In explaining 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 wipes out 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.” 1

"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 for the next prayer after one is over. This is your Jihad in the cause of Allah.”2