Should I Pray with My Father at Home or in the Mosque?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Ustada Shazia Ahmad
Question
Today my dad decided to do tawba alhamdulillah, but, he is too shy to go to the masjid since all his friends and neighbours are there. He requested me to be his imam. Should I join the congregation or be my dad’s imam?
Answer
The Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) said, “If people knew the reward in praying Fajr and Isha in the congregation, they would go to the mosque even if they had to crawl.” [Bukhari & Muslim]
There is no harm in praying with your father occasionally at home, but he must take the first step to break out of his fear and shame and show up at the mosque. The benefit will be tremendous, his knowledge will grow, his faith will strengthen, and he will become transformed, by the grace of Allah. Soon, he will consider the mosque his home.
Please see these links as well:
Praying at home instead of masjid
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustada] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqida, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
