2. Ruling on prayer in congregationfor men

2.
Is it permissible to pray in one's home when the mosque is nearby?
Please note that there are only two of us praying.
Praise be to Allaah.
Prayer in congregation is obligatory for healthy men in themosque,
according to the more correct scholarly opinion. This is based on a
great deal of evidence, including the following:
1 - Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"When you (O Messenger Muhammad) are among them, and lead them in
As-Salaah (the prayer), let one party of them stand up [in Salaah
(prayer)] withyou taking their arms with them; when they finish their
prostrations, let them take their positions in the rear and let the
other party come up which have not yet prayed, and let them praywith
you"
[al-Nisa' 4:102]
The following points are made on the basis of this verse:
Allaah commands them to pray incongregation, then He repeats this
command a second time with regard to the second party or group, as He
says, "and let the other party come up which have not yet prayed, and
let them praywith you". This indicates that prayer in congregation is
an obligation for all individuals, because Allaah did not absolve the
second group of this obligation as a result of the first group praying
in congregation. If prayer in congregation was Sunnah, it would be
more appropriate for people to be excused from it at times of fear
[the situation referred to in this verse], and if it were fard
kifaayah (a communal obligation), it would be discharged by the
actions of the first group. So this verse shows that it is an
individual obligation, and demonstrates that in three ways: it is
enjoined at the beginning, then it is enjoined a second time, and
there is no concession allowing them not to do it at times of fear.
From the words of Ibn al-Qayyimin Kitaab al-Salaah.
2 - In al-Saheehayn (the following version was narrated by
al-Bukhaari) it is narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "By the One
in Whose hand is my soul, I had thought of ordering that wood be
gathered, then I would command the call toprayer to be given, and I
would appoint a man to lead the people in prayer, then I would go to
men [who do not attend the congregational prayer] and burn their
houses down around them. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if
anyone of you had known that he would receive a bone covered with meat
or two (small) pieces of meat in a sheep's foot, he would come for
'Isha' prayer."
Al-Bukhaari, 7224; Muslim, 651.
Ibn al-Mundhir (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The fact that he
was thinking of burning down the houses of people who did not attend
the prayer is the clearest evidence that attending prayer in
congregation is obligatory, because it would not be permissible for
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to do this
with regard to something that was mustahabb and not obligatory.
Al-Awsat, 4/134
For more information on the evidence, please see question no.8918.
Once it is established that prayer in congregation is obligatory, it
isobligatory to perform this prayerin the mosque. It is not
permissible for a man who is able to attend the congregationalprayer
in the mosque to pray in his house even if he prays in congregation
with his family.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz said:
With regard to not praying in congregation, this is a reprehensible
action and is not permitted. It is also one of the attributes of the
hypocrites.
It is obligatory for the Muslim to pray in the mosque in congregation,
as it says in the hadeeth of Ibn Umm Maktoom - who was a blind man. He
said, "OMessenger of Allaah, I do not have a guide to lead me to the
mosque," and he asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) to grant him a concession allowing him to pray in
his house, and he allowed him that, but when he turned away he called
him back and asked, "Can you hear the call to prayer?" He said, "Yes."
He said, "Then answer it." Narrated by Muslim inhis Saheeh, 635.
And it was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "Whoever hears the call to prayerand does not come,
there is no prayer for him [i.e., his prayer is not valid], unless he
has an excuse." Narrated by Ibn Maajah, al-Daaraqutni, Ibn Hibbaan and
al-Haakim with a saheeh isnaad. It was said to Ibn 'Abbaas, what is an
excuse? He said, Fear or sickness.
In Saheeh Muslim (654) it is narrated that Ibn Mas'ood said: "At the
time of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) we used to think that no one failed to attend the prayer in
congregation but a hypocrite or one who was sick."...