Is it permissible for an individual to pray, whether alone or in congregation, at home? And can one adopt the view of Imam Malik and Imam Shafi’i regarding the non-obligatory nature of congregational prayer or praying in the mosque for the sake of ease?

This issue is one of disagreement. Whoever is qualified to examine the evidence should favor what becomes apparent to him through the proof. As for the common person, he should follow someone whose knowledge and piety he trusts. Imam Al-Shafi'i, Imam Malik, and others who did not consider congregational prayer obligatory for individuals are venerable imams, and there is no harm in following them. The fatwa adopted by us is that congregational prayer is obligatory for individuals, and that it is not conditional upon being performed in a mosque; rather, it is sufficient wherever it is performed. We advise you not to be complacent regarding congregational prayer and to strive to perform it in the mosque whenever possible, for it is one of the greatest means of increasing faith and one of the noblest rituals of Islam. In it is an exit from disagreement and a certain clearing of one's conscience.