Hadith 1529

It is narrated from Al-Aswad ibn Jabir, from his father, that two men prayed Dhuhr in their homes during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), thinking that the people had already prayed. Then they came to the mosque and found the Prophet (peace be upon him) leading the prayer. They sat in a corner of the mosque, thinking that the prayer was not valid for them. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) finished, he saw them and sent for them. They were brought to him, trembling with fear that something had gone wrong. He asked them, and they informed him of what had happened. He said: "If you do that, pray with the people, and consider the first prayer as the obligatory one." [Narrated by our Imam Abu Hanifah] In a narration by Muhammad: "Consider the first prayer as the obligatory one and the second as voluntary." In a narration by Al-Bayhaqi: "If you pray in your homes and then come to the imam, pray with him, and let that be voluntary, while the one in your homes is the obligatory prayer." In a narration by Al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, and Al-Nasa’i: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "What prevented you from praying with us?" They said: "O Messenger of Allah, we had already prayed in our homes." He said: "Do not do that. If you pray in your homes and then come to a mosque with a congregation, pray with them, for it will be voluntary for you."