Is it Wajib for Men to pray in the Masjid?

The Prophet (S.A.W) was so concerned that people should attend the congregational prayers (beimam) in the mosque that he wanted to burn down the houses of those who failed to join the congregation:


"By the One in Whose hand is my soul, I wanted to give orders that wood should be gathered and brought to me, then I would have ordered the call to prayer to be given, and would have appointed a man to lead the prayer, then I would have gone to the ones who were absent from the congregation and burnt their houses down around them," (Bukhari and Muslim).


I've got this from "The Ideal Muslim" book page 30. This hadith is really an eye opener for me. The first time i read it i couldn't believe it at once I had to read it for three time just to get it into my head. I mean this is narrated by one of the top Imam para-para Tabi'in. Who have not heard of Bukhari and Muslim. Mustahil inda tau. For us to heard a hadtih from them we know that it is Sahih (valid/authentic). 

Alhamdulillah before coming across to this hadith from this book I have been reminded by a friend of mine, who have read a book which is published in Malaysia saying that those who lives around 40 houses away from the Masjid, their prayer in their houses will not be accepted. Subhanallah! Alhamdulillah right after he said this I started to pray at the masjid. And besides, who else will be the jemaah of our local masjid but not us the villagers? make sense right??


Probably what really motivates me to pray in the masjid comes from one Hadith Sahih narrated by Muslim (I also got it from The Ideal Muslim book),


"If he performs wudoo' properly, then goes out with the sole intention of going to pray in the masjid, then for each step he takes, his status in Paradise will be raised by one degree, and one of his sins will be forgiven. When he prays, as long as he remains in his place of prayer and his wudoo' does not become invalidated, the angels will continue to pray for him: 'O' Allah, bless him, O' Allah, have mercy on him,' He is regarded as being in a state of prayer so long as he is waiting for the prayer."


Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) spoke of the promise of Paradise for the one who is keen to pray in congregation in the masjid morning and evening:


"Allah will prepare a place in Paradise for the one who goes to the mosque in the morning or in the evening, each time he goes to the mosque." (Bukhari and Muslim)


source: "The Ideal Muslim" book


Ada lagi satu hadith by Muslim. 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ood (RadiAllahuan) berkata:


.."Allah has shown your Prophet the way of guidance, and these prayers (in the mosque) are part of that way. If you pray in your homes like this man who stayed in his home, then you have abandoned the sunnah of your Prophet, and if you have abandoned the sunnah of your Prophet, then you have gone astray.."


Distance was never been a masaalah untuk para Sahaabah dulu atu, who would attend the mosque whenever they heard the call to prayer, no matter how far their homes were from the masjid. 


Kitani ambil satu crita dari Ubayy ibn Ka'b berkata:


"There was a man of the Ansaar whose house was farther from the masjid than anyone else I knew, but he never missed a prayer! Someone asked him,'Why do you not buy a donkey to ride when it is dark or it is very hot? He said,'I would not like my house to be next to the masjid, because I want my walking to the mosque then back home to my family to be recorded among my good deeds.' (Muslim)