Rainfall is one of the legislated excuses to not attend the congregation

Proof:

ابْنُ عُمَرَ فِي لَيْلَةٍ بَارِدَةٍ بِضَجْنَانَ ثُمَّ قَالَ صَلُّوا فِي رِحَالِكُمْ، فَأَخْبَرَنَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَأْمُرُ مُؤَذِّنًا يُؤَذِّنُ، ثُمَّ يَقُولُ عَلَى إِثْرِهِ، أَلاَ صَلُّوا فِي الرِّحَالِ‏.‏ فِي اللَّيْلَةِ الْبَارِدَةِ أَوِ الْمَطِيرَةِ فِي السَّفَرِ

Narrated Nafi`:
Once in a cold night, Ibn `Umar pronounced the Adhan for the prayer at Dajnan (the name of a mountain) and then said, “Pray at your homes”, and informed us that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) used to tell the Mu’adh-dhin to pronounce Adhan and say, “Pray at your homes” at the end of the Adhan on a rainy or a very cold night during the journey.”

[Saheeh Bukhari no. 632]

Hafidh Ibn Hajr rahimahullah said:

وترجم عليه البخاري غير ترجمة الباب والذي قبله الرخصة في الصلاة في الرحال عند المطر
“Bukhari put a title other than the title of the chapter. The one before it is the allowance for the people to pray in the house when it israining”

[Fathul Bari]

And also:

عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ كُنَّا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي سَفَرٍ فَأَصَابَنَا مَطَرٌ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ مَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيُصَلِّ فِي رَحْلِهِ

Jabir narrated:
“We were with the Prophet on a journey when it started to rain on us, so the Prophet (S) said: ‘Whoever wishes, let him perform Salat in his place.'”

[Saheeh Tirmidhi no. 409]

Imam al-Mubaarakfoori rahimahullah said in commentary:

فيه دليل على أن الصلاة في الرحال لعذر المطر ونحوه رخصة وليست بعزيمة

“In this is evidence that prayer is in the homes due to the excuse of rain and the likes and is an allowance and not an obligation”

[Tuhfatul-Ahwadhi]
Shaikh Ibn ul-‘Uthaymeen rahimahullah:

“From the excuses also is if there rain and mud. In that is difficulty to attend the masaajid. So a person prays in his house. Otherwise, the origin is the obligation of attending the congregational prayer for every man in the masjid”

[Noor ‘ala Darb no. 206]
This is because there is difficulty in going to the masjid. As for light rain, then one must still attend the congregation.

Shaikh Ibn ul-‘Uthaymeen rahimahullah said:

“If it does not harm him such that the rain is light, then there is no excuse. Rather it is obligatory upon him to attend the congregation. And what afflicts him of little difficulty, then he is rewarded”

[Sharh Mumti’ (4/318)]

And Allah Knows Best

Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan

Ruling for praying at home if the masjid is far away
Question:

I live in a house far from the masjid and I am forced to drive the car to the salaat. And if I walk on foot (to the masjid), then I sometimes miss the salaat (completely). Knowing that I can hear the adhaan over the loud speakers, then if I prayed in my house or prayed with three or four of my neighbours at another house, is this considered a serious matter? Please benefit me. May Allaah reward you with good.
Answer:

The duty on you is that your make salaat with your Muslim brothers in the masjid if you hear the call in your shop naturally, without needing something that amplifies the low and hard to hear sounds. Then if you are distant and you do not hear the sound of the call (adhaan) without the sound being amplified, then it becomes permissible for you to pray in your house or with some of your neighbours.
And it is established from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) who said to a blind man who asked for permission to pray in his house: “Do you hear the call to prayer?” He said: ‘Yes’ He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “Respond to it”. (Collected by Imaam Muslim in his Saheeh)

And his saying (صلى الله عليه وسلم): “Whoever heard the call (adhaan) and he did not come to it (the prayer), then there is no prayer for him except with an excuse”. (Narrated by Ibn Maajah, ad-Daraqutni, Ibn Hibbaan, and al-Haakim with a Saheeh chain)

And when you answer the muaddhin and you are distant and you endured the hardship on your feet or in the car, then there is a goodness for you and it is preferred and Allaah will write in your records that you went to the masjid and returned from it with sincerity and correct intention.

And it is established from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم): He said to a man whose house was far from al-Masjid an-Nabawi and he never missed the prayer (in congregation) with the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). It was said to him: If you were to buy a donkey you could ride upon it in the dark nights and in the burning sand. He said: I do not like my house to be situated by the side of the masjid, for I (eagerly) desire that my steps towards the masjid and back from it, should be recorded when I return to my family. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “Allaah has gathered all (rewards) for you”. (Collected by Imaam Muslim in his Saheeh)

Shaykh `Abdul-`Azeez Bin Baz
Kitaab ad-Da’wah, Volume Two, Question 103
http://www.masjiduthaymeen.org

THE RULING ON LOOKING AT ONE’S WATCH DURING THE KHUTBAH – SHAIKH ABDUL-MUHSIN AL-‘ABBAD

Question: Is looking at the watch, touching the beard, and scratching the skin, while the Imam is delivering the Khutbah, enter into idle speech?

Answer: “A person scratching his body when it itches does not effect [his khutbah]. What is prohibited is what busies from the Khutbah. Like that, him looking at his watch is not from idle speech. As for him taking out his watch if it is in his pocket, then fits into the category of touching the pebbles. As for him looking at his watch and it is on his hand, then there is no harm in it”

[Sharh Sunan Abi Dawood no. 139]

Translated by

Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan

Source: How to Make up for the Eed Prayer if You Miss it with A Valid Excuse

THE RULING ON SPECIFIYINIG A PRAYER MAT FOR THE IMAM OF THE MASJID – SHAIKH ABDUL-MUHSIN AL-‘ABBAD

Question: What is the ruling on specifying a prayer mat for the Imam of the masjid in addition to the carpet of the masjid?

Answer: “There is no need to increase upon the carpet of the masjid. Not for the Imam or other than him”

[Sharh Saheeh al-Bukhari no. 59 Side A]

Translated by

Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan

Ash-Shaykh Abdul Azeez ar-Raajihi, may Allah preserve him, was asked the following question,

هل يجب ترتيب الفوائت بحيث إذا فاتتني الصلاة وحضرت الجماعة الصلاة التي تليها أترك الجماعة وأقضي الفائتة؟

The Question: “Is it mandatory to make up the missed prayers in order, such as if I missed the prayer then the time for the Jama’ah of the next prayer comes in. So would I leave off the Jama’ah and make up the missed prayer?”

لا بد من الترتيب و يمكنك أن تصلي مع الجماعة الصلاة الفائتة ثم تصلي بعدها الحاضرة إلا إذا خشيت خروج وقت الحاضرة مثال( الحاضرة صلاة العصر خروج وقتها باصفرار الشمس ) أما فوات الجماعة لا بد من الترتيب

The Answer : “It is a must to perform them in order. While it is possible to pray with the Jama’ah (by making your intention to make up) for the missed prayer then after it you can pray the current salaah except in a state wherein you fear that the time for the current salaah will no longer be valid . For example if the current salaah is salaatu ‘Asr, the ending of its time is by the sun becoming yellow (during its setting). As for (if the purpose is merely to avoid) missing the congregation prayer then it is still necessary to perform them in order”

Reference: The Fataawa of Ash-Shaykh Abdul Azeez ar-Raajihi (excerpt from the app).

THE RULING ON PLACING THE HANDS ON THE HEART IN PRAYER – SHAIKH AL-ALBANI

Shaikh al-Albani rahimahullah said:

“Building upon that, you find in some of the Arab lands, rather in some of the Schools of thought which are followed, [the mention of] of placing the right hand upon the left on the heart and not on the chest [in prayer]. This is against the Sunnah. The Sunnah is to place them upon the chest and not to place them on the heart, which the Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam described with his statement:

ألا وإن في الجسد مضغة إذا صلحت صلح الجسد كله وإذا فسدت فسد الجسد كله ألا وهي القلب

There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoiled the whole body gets spoiled and that is the heart.

So it is not from the Sunnah is to place the hands like this, inclining them towards the left. Verily, the Sunnah is to place them like this upon the chest. So whoever takes them to the left due to a philosophical explanation has no foundation. Verily, it is the that the heart is the center of Iman. So placing the hands upon the chest is from the angle of preserving the Iman whose place of settlement is the heart. These explanations, for which Allah did not sent down an authority, are not reported in any Hadith, not even a weak Hadith or a fabricated Hadith from the Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam that the Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam used to incline to the heart when placing his hands on his chest like this. So you find some incline when placing his hands like this, then he comes with his forearm under his armpit. The Sunnah is to place the hands on the chest and not incline them to the left on the heart. So inclining them to the left on the heart, like the one who does this, does not have an origin for this or this. Verily, the hands are placed on the chest. It has come in some books of tafseer that the Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam explained His statement:

إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ

Verily, We have granted you (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him)) Al-Kauthar (a river in Paradise); Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to Him only).

[108:1-2]

He said: (انحر) that is: place your hands on your chest. So the chest is here and not here. This is what I loved to mention between the answer to your question”.

[Fatawa al-Judda no. 16 Side A]

Translated by

Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan

Abu Sulaymaan

IF A THIRD PERSON JOINS THE PRAYER, DOES THE IMAM MOVE FORWARD OR DOES THE CONGREGANT MOVE BACK ? – SHAIKH AL-ALBANI AND SHAIKH BIN BAZ

Shaikh al-Albani rahimahullah said:

“That which I want to say is that one person prays to the right of the Imam and as well he places his shoes to the right. If another comes and he does not know the nature of the ruling so he stands on the left of the Imam, then the Imam here follows the Prophet sallahu alahyhi wa salam and puts them both behind him. As for if the second has understanding that the two stand behind the Imam, then he stands behind the Imam and pull the one on the right. As for the Imam, then he remains in his place and he is not ordered to move forward. Yes”

[Silsilatul Huda wan-Nur no. 812 Side A]

Shaikh Bin Baz rahimahullah said

Question: There are two people praying asr in congregation and a third comes after both have entered prayer. So the Imam precedes because there is no place behind for the congregants to return to. So is it allowed for the Imam to come forward, specifically since we know the Hadith that the Messenger of Allah sallahu alayhi wa salam moved two people back and the Imam did not move forward?

Answer: ” If the Imam is in a place where it is possible for him to move them both back, then he moves them back. If the Imam is in a place where it is not possible for them to move back, he moves forward and there is no blame nor harm. What is important is if there is space in the place. If the space is behind, then he moves the one with him behind along with the other and they both pray behind him. Similar to what the Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam did when Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) and Jabbar came and stood on his right and left. So he put both of them behind him. Likewise, the story of Anas and the orphan. He placed both of them behind. As for if they make a row against a wall and all of those behind him are against a wall. Then the Imam moves up and leads them and this is legislatted. May Allah bless you and reward you with good”.

[http://www.binbaz.org.sa/node/16049]

Tranlsated by

Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan

Abu Sulayman