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Fatwa CenterWhen the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, performed obligatory prayer at home
Question
Did Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, ever pray at home?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
We did not come across any report indicating that the Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, performed obligatory prayers in his house while being able to attend the congregational prayer at the mosque. However, it has been reported that he, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, performed obligatory prayers in his house when his last illness intensified. It has been authentically narrated that the Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, did not lead the Muslims in prayer at the mosque when his health deteriorated (shortly before his death).
Anas ibn Maalik 
narrated that the Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, “did not come out for three days. The people stood for the prayer and Abu Bakr went ahead to lead the prayer. Then, the Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, caught hold of the curtain and lifted it. When the face of the Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, appeared, we had never seen a scene more pleasing than the face of the Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, as it appeared then. The Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, gestured to Abu Bakr to continue to lead the people in the prayer and then let the curtain fall. We did not see him (again) till he died.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] This wording was cited by Imaam Al-Bukhari 
.
Irshaad As-Saari li-Sharh Saheeh Al-Bukhari reads, “It has been reported on the authority of Anas, as cited by Al-Aseeli, that the Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, did not lead the Muslims in prayer at the mosque for three days, which started when he, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, went out one day and led the prayer while sitting down.”
Al-Qaadhi ʻIyaadh wrote:
“The preponderant view is that he, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, (lifted the curtain of his house and) smiled cheerfully as a friendly gesture implying a degree of intimacy as he, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, used to do with his Companions all the time and so as to show them that his health condition got better on that day. It is also possible that he, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, was about to come out and join the prayer with them like the other hadeeth indicated, but he, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, felt feeble and could not. Allaah knows best.” [Ikmaal Al-Mu'lim]
ʻUmdat Al-Qaari reads:
“It is deduced from this hadeeth that Abu Bakr was commissioned by the Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, to lead the Muslims in prayer instead of him during his illness until he, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, passed away and that he was not relieved of such a duty, as the Shi'ites claim, when the Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, came out of his house while Abu Bakr was leading the prayer and he stepped back to allow the Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, to lead. Rather, the gesture of the Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, to Abu Bakr to continue the prayer and to conclude it is the same as a verbal command from the Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, (to Abu Bakr to lead the Muslims in prayer instead of him) in such a situation.”
As for the times when he, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, enjoyed sound health and could go to the mosque, he did not perform the obligatory prayers in his house.
Allaah knows best.
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