Is saying al-Iqamah important or not?

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The Iqamah (the call for establishing the prayer) is not obligatory but it is a confirmed Sunnah, and this is the opinion of the Maaliki School; it is the predominant view in the Shaafi'i School and it is the correct view according to Abu Haneefah School. The proof for this is the Hadeeth of the Bedouin who didn't perform his prayer properly. It is reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim from Abu Hurayrah, Ibn Mas’ood and the others, may Allah be pleased with them, that the Messenger of Allah taught him (the Bedouin) the prayer without the mention of the Athaan (call to prayer) and the Iqamah, even though he taught the Bedouin the ablution, turning towards the Kiblah, and the pillars of the prayer.

It is reported that ‘Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood prayed with ‘Alqamah and al-Aswad without the Athaan and Iqamah of their own, since they heard the Athaan and Iqamah in their area.

But a Muslim should not abandon the Iqamah temporarily or for a definite time, because the Iqamah is one of the outward Islamic rituals and symbols. The Prophet urged us to call the Iqamah even if a person prays alone.

‘Ukbah Ibn ‘Aamir narrated: “I heard the Prophet saying: “Your Lord is astonished by a shepherd high in the mountains who calls the Athan for the prayer and prays. Allah says: 'Look at this slave of Mine; he calls the Athan and Iqamah for the prayer and fears Me. I have forgiven My Slave and admitted him to Paradise.’” [An-Nasaa-i, Abu Dawood, and at-Tabaraani]

Al-Mundhiri said: “This Hadeeth is supported by truthful men.”

Allah knows best.