Ibn Al-Qayyim said: ‘The prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) would not execute such a punishment on the one who has committed a minor sin. Accordingly; abandoning the congregational Sal?t is one of the Kab?’ir [grievous sins]’.

Arguments were raised doubting the obligation of attending the congregational Sal?t; the following paragraphs are going to deal with these arguments and refute them all.

(1) Some say that the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) did not excute the punishment although he was about to do it.

The answer:

The reason that detered the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) from executing the punishment is clearly stated in “Al-Musnad” and other Sunnah compilations that the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) said: ‘ ... but I could not because of the women and off spring who live in them’.

The apparent meaning of the prophet’s ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) statement is that it is not an obligation on women and kids to present themselves in the congregational Sal?t. Had the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) executed his threat, many innocent lives would have been unjustly killed which is similar to the act of executing punishment on a pregnant woman. Regarding this, All?h ( - عز وجل -) said:

[ ولولا رجال مؤمنون ونساء مؤمنات لم تعلموهم أن تطؤوهم فتصيبكم منهم معرة بغير علم ليدخل الله في رحمته من يشاء لو تزيلوا لعذبنا الذين كفروا عذاباً أليماً]

‘ Had there not been believing men and believing women whom you did not know, that you may kill them, and on whose account a sin would have been committed by you without (your) knowledge, that All?h ( - عز وجل -) might bring in to His mercy whom He will, if they (the believers and the disbelievers) should have been a part, We verily had punished those of them who disbelieved, with painful torment’. (1)

(2) Others argued that the prophet’s ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) threat is addressed to those who abandon the Jumu‘ah Sal?t.