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Allah Ta’alaa says in the Quraan Shareef:
فَخَلَفَ مِنْۢ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ اَضَاعُوا الصَّلٰوةَ وَ اتَّبَعُوا الشَّهَوٰتِ فَسَوْفَ یَلْقَوْنَ غَیًّاۙ
Then came after them the successors who ruined Salah and pursued desires. So they will soon face (the outcome of their) perversion,
Verse 59: Surah Maryam
Mufti Muhammed Shafee Rahmatullahi alaihi has written under this verse in Maariful Quraan:
Mujahid Rahmatullahi alaihi has reported that when the Day of Judgment would be near and the pious people would all be dead and gone, people will lose interest in prayers and indulge in all sort of vices and evil deeds.
Explaining from the above verse: اَضَاعُوا الصَّلٰوةَ (destroyed Salaah): commentators have stated this means the offering of prayers at home and not with the congregation (جَمَاعَت) is اِضَاعتِ صلٰوۃ (Qurtubi, Bahr ul-Muhit).
1. Imaam Bukhari Rahmatullahi alaihi has a dedicated chapter: باب وُجُوبِ صَلاَةِ الْجَمَاعَةِ – The chapter on the obligation of Salaah with congregation.
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ آمُرَ بِحَطَبٍ فَيُحْطَبَ، ثُمَّ آمُرَ بِالصَّلاَةِ فَيُؤَذَّنَ لَهَا، ثُمَّ آمُرَ رَجُلاً فَيَؤُمَّ النَّاسَ، ثُمَّ أُخَالِفَ إِلَى رِجَالٍ فَأُحَرِّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ بُيُوتَهُمْ، وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوْ يَعْلَمُ أَحَدُهُمْ أَنَّهُ يَجِدُ عَرْقًا سَمِينًا أَوْ مِرْمَاتَيْنِ حَسَنَتَيْنِ لَشَهِدَ الْعِشَاءَ
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “By Him in Whose Hand my soul is I was about to order for collecting firewood (fuel) and then order Someone to pronounce the Adhan for the prayer and then order someone to lead the prayer then I would go from behind and burn the houses of men who did not present themselves for the (compulsory congregational) prayer.”
Lesson: Rasulullah ﷺ was sent as a mercy to the entire universe yet had this intention of burning the houses of men who perform Salaah but performing at home. What is the case of those who do not perform Salaah at all?
In the narration of Ibn Majah, the warning Rasulullah ﷺ said: ‘Let men desist from failing to attend the congregational Salaah, or else I will definitely burn their houses down.’
عَنْ أُسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ “ لَيَنْتَهِيَنَّ رِجَالٌ عَنْ تَرْكِ الْجَمَاعَةِ أَوْ لأُحَرِّقَنَّ بُيُوتَهُمْ ” .
Hadith 795: Ibn Majah
Are we (men) performing Salaah with Jamaah?
2. Abdullah ibn Masood Radhiyallahu anhu reported:
مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يَلْقَى اللَّهَ غَدًا مُسْلِمًا فَلْيُحَافِظْ عَلَى هَؤُلاَءِ الصَّلَوَاتِ حَيْثُ يُنَادَى بِهِنَّ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ شَرَعَ لِنَبِيِّكُمْ صلى الله عليه وسلم سُنَنَ الْهُدَى وَإِنَّهُنَّ مِنْ سُنَنِ الْهُدَى
He who likes to meet Allah tomorrow as Muslim, he should persevere in observing these Salaah, when a call is announced for them, for Allah has laid down for your Prophet (ﷺ) the paths of right guidance, and these (Salaah) are among the paths of rightly guidance.
وَلَوْ أَنَّكُمْ صَلَّيْتُمْ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ كَمَا يُصَلِّي هَذَا الْمُتَخَلِّفُ فِي بَيْتِهِ لَتَرَكْتُمْ سُنَّةَ نَبِيِّكُمْ وَلَوْ تَرَكْتُمْ سُنَّةَ نَبِيِّكُمْ لَضَلَلْتُمْ
If you were to pray in your houses as this man why stays away (from the Masjid) prays in his house, you would abandon the practice of your Prophet (ﷺ), and if you were to abandon the practice of your Prophet (ﷺ), you would go astray.
وَمَا مِنْ رَجُلٍ يَتَطَهَّرُ فَيُحْسِنُ الطُّهُورَ ثُمَّ يَعْمِدُ إِلَى مَسْجِدٍ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْمَسَاجِدِ إِلاَّ كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بِكُلِّ خَطْوَةٍ يَخْطُوهَا حَسَنَةً وَيَرْفَعُهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً وَيَحُطُّ عَنْهُ بِهَا سَيِّئَةً
No man purifies himself, doing it well, then makes for one of those mosques without Allah recording a blessing for him for every step he takes raising him a degree for it, and effacing a sin from him for it.
وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنَا وَمَا يَتَخَلَّفُ عَنْهَا إِلاَّ مُنَافِقٌ مَعْلُومُ النِّفَاقِ وَلَقَدْ كَانَ الرَّجُلُ يُؤْتَى بِهِ يُهَادَى بَيْنَ الرَّجُلَيْنِ حَتَّى يُقَامَ فِي الصَّفِّ .
I have seen the time when no one stayed away from it, except a hypocrite, who was well known for his hypocrisy, whereas a man would be brought swaying (due to weakness) between two men till he was set up in a row.
Hadith 654: Sahih Muslim
Lesson: Performing Salaah is the Sunnah of Rasulullah (ﷺ). If you follow it, you will be guided and if you abandon performing Salaah with Jama’ah then you will be misled. This is the meaning of Sunanul Huda.
How could a man be guided when he is leaving out this pathway to guidance and its abandonment leads to falsehood?
3.
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم رَجُلٌ أَعْمَى فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ لِي قَائِدٌ يَقُودُنِي إِلَى
الْمَسْجِدِ . فَسَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ يُرَخِّصَ لَهُ فَيُصَلِّيَ فِي بَيْتِهِ فَرَخَّصَ لَهُ فَلَمَّا وَلَّى دَعَاهُ فَقَالَ ” هَلْ تَسْمَعُ النِّدَاءَ بِالصَّلاَةِ ” . فَقَالَ نَعَمْ . قَالَ ” فَأَجِبْ
Sayyiduna Abu Huraira Radhiyallahu anhu reported:
There came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) a blind man and said:
Messenger of Allah, I have no one to guide me to the Masjid.
He, therefore, asked. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) permission to say prayer in his house. He (Rasulullah ﷺ) granted him permission.
Then when the man turned away he (ﷺ) called him and said:
Do you hear the Athaan?
He said:
Yes.
He (ﷺ) said:
Respond to it. (by attending Salaah with jamaat)
Hadith 653, Sahih Muslim
In the narration of Abu Dawood (552), Rasulullah (ﷺ) said:
I do not find any permission for you.
قَالَ ” لاَ أَجِدُ لَكَ رُخْصَةً ”
Lesson: The blind have to respond to call of Salaah by heading to the Masjid, what excuse do the people with vision have?
4.
قَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ وَسُئِلَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ عَنْ رَجُلٍ، يَصُومُ النَّهَارَ وَيَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ لاَ يَشْهَدُ جُمُعَةً وَلاَ جَمَاعَةً قَالَ هُوَ فِي النَّارِ
Mujahid Rahmatullahi alaihi said:
“Ibn Abbas (Radhiyallahu anhu) was asked about a man who fasted during the day and stood (in prayers) during the night, but he did not attend the Jumuah Salaah nor congregational Salaah. He replied:
‘He is in the Fire.'”
Imaam Tirmidhi Rahmatullahi alaihi writes:
“It has been narrated from more than one companion of Rasulullah ﷺ that, ‘whoever hears the Athaan and does not respond (by going to perform it in the Masjid) then there is no Salaah for that person. The people of Ilm have stated this is based on the sternness and keeping it on high alert, knowing there is no leeway in the matter except for a legitimate excuse”
. قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا بِذَلِكَ هَنَّادٌ حَدَّثَنَا الْمُحَارِبِيُّ عَنْ لَيْثٍ عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ . قَالَ وَمَعْنَى الْحَدِيثِ أَنْ لاَ يَشْهَدَ الْجَمَاعَةَ وَالْجُمُعَةَ رَغْبَةً عَنْهَا وَاسْتِخْفَافًا بِحَقِّهَا وَتَهَاوُنًا بِهَا
Tirmidhi 213
Lesson: A person believes that Salaah with Jamaat is not established or looks down upon it or believes to be a really mild matter then based on this, he will turn apostate.
5.
عَنْ أُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ، قَالَ صَلَّى بِنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَوْمًا الصُّبْحَ فَقَالَ ” أَشَاهِدٌ فُلاَنٌ ” . قَالُوا لاَ . قَالَ ” أَشَاهِدٌ فُلاَنٌ ” . قَالُوا لاَ . قَالَ ” إِنَّ هَاتَيْنِ الصَّلاَتَيْنِ أَثْقَلُ الصَّلَوَاتِ عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَلَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِيهِمَا لأَتَيْتُمُوهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا عَلَى الرُّكَبِ وَإِنَّ الصَّفَّ الأَوَّلَ عَلَى مِثْلِ صَفِّ الْمَلاَئِكَةِ وَلَوْ عَلِمْتُمْ مَا فَضِيلَتُهُ لاَبْتَدَرْتُمُوهُ وَإِنَّ صَلاَةَ الرَّجُلِ مَعَ الرَّجُلِ أَزْكَى مِنْ صَلاَتِهِ وَحْدَهُ وَصَلاَتُهُ مَعَ الرَّجُلَيْنِ أَزْكَى مِنْ صَلاَتِهِ مَعَ الرَّجُلِ وَمَا كَثُرَ فَهُوَ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى ”
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led us in Fajr Salaah one day. And he said:
‘Is so and so present?’
They said:
‘No.’
He (ﷺ) (again) asked:
‘Is so and so present?’
They replied:
‘No.’
He (ﷺ) then said:
‘These two prayers are the ones which are most burdensome to hypocrites. If you knew what they contain (i.e. blessings), you would come to them, even though you had to crawl on your knees. The first row is like that of the angels, and if you knew the nature of its excellence, you would race to join it. A man’s prayer said along with another is purer than his prayer said alone, and his prayer with two men is purer than his prayer with one, but if there are more it is more pleasing to Allah, the Almighty, the Majestic.’
Hadith 554, Abu Dawud
Lesson: Rasulullah (ﷺ) did not mind taking the roll call of the musallees due to his worry and concern that every person must be present for Salaah with Jamaat.
6.
عن ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، وَابْنُ، عُمَرَ أَنَّهُمَا سَمِعَا النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ يَقُولُ عَلَى أَعْوَادِهِ “ لَيَنْتَهِيَنَّ أَقْوَامٌ عَنْ وَدْعِهِمُ الْجَمَاعَاتِ أَوْ لَيَخْتِمَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ ثُمَّ لَيَكُونُنَّ مِنَ الْغَافِلِينَ ” .
Ibn ‘Abbas and Ibn ‘Umar Radhiyallahu anhuma narrated that:
They heard the Prophet ﷺ say on his pulpit:
“Should people desist from failing to attend the congregations, Allah will seal their hearts, and they will be among the negligent.”
Sunan Ibn Majah 794
Lesson: Hearts will be sealed if men do not attend Salaah with Jamaat.
7.
عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ “ مَنْ صَلَّى فِي مَسْجِدٍ جَمَاعَةً أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً لاَ تَفُوتُهُ الرَّكْعَةُ الأُولَى مِنْ صَلاَةِ الْعِشَاءِ كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بِهَا عِتْقًا مِنَ النَّارِ ”
It was narrated from ‘Umar bin Khattab Radhiyallahu anhu that:
The Prophet ﷺ used to say: “Whoever performs prayer in congregation at the mosque for forty nights, never missing the first Rak’ah of the ‘Isha’ prayer, Allah will thereby decree for him salvation from the Fire.”
Hadith 798: Ibn Majah
According to all four schools of thought, the performance of Salaah with jamaat is compulsory for men. All four schools of Fiqh agree that negligence in performing Salaah with Jamaat will render one as a sinner for men. Imaam Ahmed b. Hanbal Rahmatullahi alaihi even goes on to say it is Fardh. Thus leaving it out without a reason is not acceptable.
According to Imaam Shaafi Rahmatullahi alaihi it is Fardh Kifaayah hence the great Shaafi scholar Imaam Nawawi Rahmatullahi alaihi has ruled in Minhaaj at-Taalibeen: “If people refuse totally, they will be killed ”
According the Hanafis and Maalikis, it is considered a sin.
Rasulullah (ﷺ) said,
“The prayer in congregation is twenty seven times superior to the prayer offered by person alone.”
قَالَ “ صَلاَةُ الْجَمَاعَةِ تَفْضُلُ صَلاَةَ الْفَذِّ بِسَبْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ دَرَجَةً ”.
Hadith: 645, Bukhaari
عَنْ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ “ مَا مِنْ ثَلاَثَةٍ فِي قَرْيَةٍ وَلاَ بَدْوٍ لاَ تُقَامُ فِيهِمُ الصَّلاَةُ إِلاَّ قَدِ اسْتَحْوَذَ عَلَيْهِمُ الشَّيْطَانُ فَعَلَيْكَ بِالْجَمَاعَةِ فَإِنَّمَا يَأْكُلُ الذِّئْبُ الْقَاصِيَةَ ” . قَالَ زَائِدَةُ قَالَ السَّائِبُ يَعْنِي بِالْجَمَاعَةِ الصَّلاَةَ فِي الْجَمَاعَةِ .
Abu Darda’ Radhiyallahu anhu said:
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: If there are three men in a village or in the desert among whom prayer is not offered (in congregation), the devil has got the mastery over them. So observe (prayer) in congregation), for the wolf eats only the straggling animal.
Sa’ib Rahmatullahi alaihi said: By the word Jama’ah he meant saying prayer in company or in congregation.
Hadith 547: Sunan Abu Dawud
