There is a difference between two terms: congregational prayer, and prayer in congregation:
Congregational prayer is the prayer that is performed in the mosque with the regular imam or his substitute, at the time of prayer. This definition does not include people praying together in a house, market, street, garden, or elsewhere.
The hadiths regarding the virtues of congregational prayer are directed towards this type of gathering.
As for prayer in congregation, it is broader than that and includes every prayer that is performed by two or more people, whether it is in the mosque or elsewhere. This type of prayer has virtues over individual prayer, but not over congregational prayer in the sense that we mentioned earlier. The evidence for this is the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the hadith of Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri, where the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw a man praying alone and said: ‘Doesn’t anyone among you wish to give charity to this man so that he may pray with him?’ That is, to gather with him so that he does not pray alone. The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: ‘You should stick to the congregation, and beware of division, for Satan is with the individual, but he is farther away from two. Whoever wants the affluence of Paradise, let him adhere to the congregation.’ This was narrated by At-Tirmidhi and others.
The evidence for the distinction between congregational prayer and prayer in congregation is what was narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim from Abu Hurairah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, ‘The prayer of a man in congregation is more virtuous than his prayer alone in his house or in the marketplace by over twenty degrees. That is because when one of you performs ablution and does it well, then comes to the mosque intending only to pray, he does not take a step without being raised a degree and having a sin erased until he enters the mosque. When he is in the mosque, he is in a state of prayer as long as the prayer keeps him there. And the angels keep praying for one of you as long as he remains in the place where he prayed, saying, ‘O Allah, have mercy on him, O Allah, forgive him, O Allah, accept his repentance as long as he does not harm anyone or do anything in that place’. The Prophet (peace be upon him) made congregational prayer in the mosque superior to a man’s prayer in his house or the marketplace, even though prayer in the house and marketplace can also be performed in congregation. He assigned a special reward for prayer in the mosque that is not obtained by prayer in the house or marketplace, regardless of whether it is performed individually or in congregation.
Likewise, what was narrated by Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: ‘By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, I had intended to order that firewood be collected, then the prayer be called, and I would appoint a man to lead the people in prayer, and then go to some men and burn their houses down upon them. By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, if anyone of you knew that he would receive a fat, meaty vein or two good (meat) legs, he would come to ‘Isha’ prayer.’ [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
So, the punishment is assigned for neglecting to come to the mosque even though it is possible to establish congregational prayer at home.
Thus, there is a hierarchy in the preference of gathering for prayer:
• Congregational prayer in the mosque.
• Prayer in congregation in the mosque.
• Prayer in congregation at home.
• Prayer in congregation in the marketplace.
• Individual prayer in the mosque.
• Individual prayer at home.
• Individual prayer in the marketplace.
Fatwa by Dr. Khālid Naṣr