Excellence of Salah (prayer) in Congregation

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع مَا يَرْوِي النَّاسُ أَنَّ الصَّلَاةَ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلَاةِ الرَّجُلِ وَحْدَهُ بِخَمْسٍ وَ عِشْرِينَ صَلَاةً فَقَالَ صَدَقُوا فَقُلْتُ الرَّجُلَانِ يَكُونَانِ جَمَاعَةً فَقَالَ نَعَمْ وَ يَقُومُ الرَّجُلُ عَنْ يَمِينِ الْإِمَامِ.

“I asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), ’People say that performing Salah (prayer) in congregation is more virtuous than twenty-five Salah (prayer) performed alone. Is this true ? 5 The Imam replied, ‘What they say is right.’ I then asked, ‘Can two people be considered a congregation?’ He (a.s.), said, ‘Yes, but one should sta

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ الْجُهَنِيَّ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ص فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي أَكُونُ فِي الْبَادِيَةِ وَ مَعِي أَهْلِي وَ وُلْدِي وَ غِلْمَتِي‌[2] فَأُؤَذِّنُ وَ أُقِيمُ وَ أُصَلِّي بِهِمْ أَ فَجَمَاعَةٌ نَحْنُ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ الْغِلْمَةَ يَتْبَعُونَ قَطْرَ السَّحَابِ وَ أَبْقَى أَنَا وَ أَهْلِي وَ وُلْدِي فَأُؤَذِّنُ وَ أُقِيمُ وَ أُصَلِّي بِهِمْ فَجَمَ

“I heard abu Ja‘far (a.s.), say, ‘Al-Juhaniy came to the Holy Prophet and asked, “O Messenger of Allah, I live in open land (unpopulated) with my family, children, and slaves. I say Adhan and ‘Iqamah and lead them in Salah (prayer). Are we considered a congregation?” The Messenger of Allah replied, “Yes, you are a cong

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ مَنْ صَلَّى الْخَمْسَ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ فَظُنُّوا بِهِ خَيْراً.

‘The Messenger of Allah has said, “If one performs the five Salah (prayer) in congregation you should think good about him.’””

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ أَ مَا يَسْتَحْيِي الرَّجُلُ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ تَكُونَ لَهُ الْجَارِيَةُ فَيَبِيعَهَا فَتَقُولَ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَحْضُرُ الصَّلَاةَ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Should a man among you who may sell his slave girl to someone, not feel embarrassed, if she says that her previous owner would not attend Salah (prayer) in congregation?”’

كُنْتُ جَالِساً عِنْدَ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ إِذْ جَاءَهُ رَجُلٌ فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنِّي رَجُلٌ جَارُ مَسْجِدٍ لِقَوْمِي فَإِذَا أَنَا لَمْ أُصَلِّ مَعَهُمْ وَقَعُوا فِيَّ وَ قَالُوا هُوَ هَكَذَا وَ هَكَذَا فَقَالَ أَمَا لَئِنْ قُلْتَ ذَاكَ لَقَدْ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ص مَنْ سَمِعَ النِّدَاءَ فَلَمْ يُجِبْهُ مِنْ غَيْرِ عِلَّةٍ فَلَا صَلَاةَ لَهُ فَخَرَجَ الرَّجُلُ فَقَا

“I once was sitting in the presence of abu Ja‘far (a.s.), when a man came to him and said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, I am a man in the neighborhood of the Masjid of my people. If I do not perform Salah (prayer) with them, they turn against me and say that I am so and so. He (the Imam)

قُلْنَا لَهُ‌[1] الصَّلَوَاتُ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ فَرِيضَةٌ هِيَ فَقَالَ الصَّلَوَاتُ فَرِيضَةٌ وَ لَيْسَ الِاجْتِمَاعُ بِمَفْرُوضٍ فِي الصَّلَاةِ كُلِّهَا وَ لَكِنَّهَا سُنَّةٌ وَ مَنْ تَرَكَهَا رَغْبَةً عَنْهَا وَ عَنْ جَمَاعَةِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ غَيْرِ عِلَّةٍ فَلَا صَلَاةَ لَهُ‌[2].

“We once asked him (the Imam), ‘Is Salah (prayer) in congregation obligatory?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Salah (prayer) is obligatory but congregating for it in general is not obligatory; however, it is of the Sunnah. Whoever omits it in disregard and in disregard of the group of believers without good reason, his Salah (pr

قَالَ: لِيَكُنِ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَ الْإِمَامَ‌[3] أُولِي الْأَحْلَامِ مِنْكُمْ وَ النُّهَى فَإِنْ نَسِيَ الْإِمَامُ أَوْ تَعَايَا قَوَّمُوهُ‌[4] وَ أَفْضَلُ الصُّفُوفِ أَوَّلُهَا وَ أَفْضَلُ أَوَّلِهَا مَا دَنَا مِنَ الْإِمَامِ وَ فَضْلُ صَلَاةِ الْجَمَاعَةِ عَلَى صَلَاةِ الرَّجُلِ فَذّاً خَمْسٌ وَ عِشْرُونَ دَرَجَةً فِي الْجَنَّةِ.

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has sad, ‘Those of you who are just behind the Imam are people of forbearance and wisdom, so that if Imam forgets or becomes tired they can help. The excellent row is the first row and excellent in the first row is the place nearest to the Imam. The height of the excellence of Salah (prayer) in cong

قَالَ: فَضْلُ مَيَامِنِ الصُّفُوفِ عَلَى مَيَاسِرِهَا كَفَضْلِ الْجَمَاعَةِ عَلَى صَلَاةِ الْفَرْدِ.

“He (the Imam) has said, ‘The excellence of performing Salah (prayer) in the center of the rows over that in the left is like the excellence of performing Salah (prayer) in congregation over performing Salah (prayer) alone individually.’”

يُحْسَبُ لَكَ إِذَا دَخَلْتَ مَعَهُمْ وَ إِنْ لَمْ تَقْتَدِ بِهِمْ مِثْلُ مَا يُحْسَبُ لَكَ إِذَا كُنْتَ مَعَ مَنْ تَقْتَدِي بِهِ‌[1].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is counted in your favor if you join them even if you do not follow them, just like it is counted in your favor when you are with those whom you follow.’” (Ahadith 5-9 are best explained in the form of fatwa.)