Performing Salaah in Jamaa'ah with One's Wife

Q: Salaah-250: If one is unable to make it to the Masjid to perform salaah with Jamaa'ah, should he perform it in Jamaa'ah (congregation) with his wife at home or individually?

Answer: If one could not make it to the Masjid for some valid reason, it is best to perform the salaah in Jamaa'ah at home with one's wife, mother, sister or someone else. Even if the woman is one, she should not stand next to the man but behind him. The salaah will be invalid if she stands beside him.

It must however be borne in mind that one will be sinful for habitually performing salaah at home without an excuse that is valid in the Shari'ah. The eminent Sahabi Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Mas'ood RADI. says, "No Sahabi RADI. ever missed salaah in Jamaa'ah. It was only those people who were known to be Munaafiqeen who did so. In fact, even those who were critically ill would join the Jamaa'ah with the support of two others. Amongst the guidelines to salvation that Rasulullaah SAW. showed us was to go to the Masjid for salaah whenever the Adhaan is called out. The Muslim who wishes to meet Allaah on the Day of Qiyaamah should perform the five salaahs in Jamaa'ah because amongst the advices that your Nabi SAW. gave was that if you perform your salaah at home like the Munaafiqeen do, you will have definitely left the way of your Nabi SAW. and as soon as you do that, you will go astray.

Fatawa Rahimiyyah vol.2