( Do not join prayer in drunken state )

o يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لاَ تَقْرَبُواْ الصَّلاَةَ وَأَنتُمْ سُكَارَى

O believers ! Do not approach prayer (Namaz) when you are drunken, till you know what you say.

(Do not join prayer when polluted)

Surat No. 4, An Nisa, Ayat No. 43

o حَتَّىَ تَعْلَمُواْ مَا تَقُولُونَ وَلاَ جُنُبًا إِلاَّ عَابِرِي سَبِيلٍ حَتَّىَ تَغْتَسِلُو

Surah No. 4, An Nisa, Ayat No. 103

o إِنَّ الصَّلاَةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَابًا مَّوْقُوتًا

Translation :

Worship at fixed times has been enjoined on the believers

To recite Salat (Namaz) in congregation

Surah No. 2, Al Baqr, Ayat No. 43

o وَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلاَةَ وَآتُواْ الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُواْ مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ

Translation :

Establish salat and pay zakaat and bow down along with those who bow-down.

Comments :

 

Question#:

615

Question Date:

2/5/1997

Topic :

Jama'a (or GROUP -not Friday-) prayer: Mandatory?

Question:

Asalamu Alakum A hadis was told to me about the Prophet (saws) saying that when the call for azan is made,he (saws) would order someone to lead the prayer and leave from the back. Then he would gather fire wood and burn the houses of those who didn't come to the prayer, I believe that this was the Isha prayer. The person who told this hadis to me had it interpetated as group salat is mandatory. Is this correct? If it is do you commit a sin for making your prayer alone?

Answer:

Dear Br. A. As-Salaamu Alaykum. Regarding your question, the Islamic Scholars have different opinions about the Jamat prayer.

Some of them say : It is mandatory to every man, and any man who does not perform it in Group actually committs and sin.

Another part of Muslim Scholars say that it s a Fard Kifaya, which means that if some people perform it collectively, then the other ones don't have to do it.

And a third group said that GROUP prayer is only a Sunnat.

Each group has its legitimate proofs which we will expose to you.

The first opinion (Mandatory) is for the Hanbali school who bases its opinion on the verse of the Qur'an in An-Nisaa, verse 102. (please refer to it in the Qur'an, it is a long verse to type). The Hanbali school says that if this verse obligates Group prayers which are prescribed even in the case of fear during war, then,it should be mandatory when the fear factor is not existing. Also al-Baqarah, verse 43, Allah says :...'and bow down yourselves along with those who are bowing down', and in Al-Imran, verse 43. In this context, bowing down is an order which shows that group prayer is obligatory. The Hanbali also base their opinions on the hadis of prophet Mohammad (pbuh) burning the houses of those who don't attend the group prayers.

The second opinion, which says that if a group of people do it, then the rest of people don't have to, is the opinion of the Shafi'i school, that says that GROUP prayer is one of the symbols of Islam.

The third opinion which says that it is a Sunnat, The Hanafi and Maliki schools prescribe to it. They base their opinion on the fact that Prophet Mohammad (saws) encouraged the group prayer and said that its reward is higher than the person who prays alone, but didn't impose it. This is based on the occasion that when two Muslims told him that they prayed in Rihalina (in their homes), he didn't blame them, otherwise, he would have done it if it was mandatory.

1 -The conclusion about this is that Group prayer is one of the symbols of Islam.

2-A person who is able to do it should perform it collectively unless he has a legitimate reason.

3- If he prays on his own, he is not committing a sin, but he would be neglecting a Sunnat of Prophet Mohammad (saws) that is very authentic.

Thank you for asking and God knows best.

Reference:

 

Question#: 4346

Question Date: 1/1/1995

Topic : Congregation: Its obligatory status

Question: What are the rules for holding a congregational prayer? How do worshipers stand? What is the advantage of praying in a congregation? Is it compulsory to form a congregation?

Answer: To pray in a congregation i.e. with jama'ah is a distinctive aspect of Islamic worship. Many scholars consider that holding a congregational prayer and joining congregational prayers is compulsory for all Muslims. Allah says in the Qur'an; "Bow down with those who bow down." This is a clear reference to prayer. If it was not a duty, we would have been given a concession not to pray in congregation when we are in a state of fear. Allah, however, has changed the requirements of prayer in such state without canceling its congregational aspect. It does not mean, that every Muslims must offer every single obligatory prayer in a congregation. It means that the holding of a congregational prayer is an obligation of the community and it is also obligatory on every individual to be keen in congregation prayer whenever possible. Such attendance is indeed a marking of strong faith. From the literature of early Islamic periods, we can conclude that a person was considered good if he regularly offered his obligatory prayer with the congregation in the mosque. Moreover, offering a prayer in a congregation enhances our reward. The Prophet says that praying with the congregation earns 27 times the reward of the same prayer offered individually. Since every one of us is always in need of greater reward from Allah, we should be keen to offer our obligatory prayers in the mosque with the congregation. The Prophet also recommends us to offer obligatory prayers at home, so that our homes are not denied the blessings of prayer. The minimum number of worshipers required for congregation is two, one of whom should be the imam. If there are only two worshipers, the imam stands a little ahead and the other person stands to his right. If there are more than two, then the imam stands on his own and the other worshipers, stand in a row, leaving a distance which is sufficient for them to do their prostration. If one row is complete and a second row is to be formed, it starts at the point exactly behind the imam and worshipers stand to the imam's right and left, in a balanced way. Every new line starts in the same way, right behind the imam. But it should have at least two people. If the last line is complete, the next one cannot be started by one person only. He either pulls one of the people in the last row back so that they could form a new line or he should wait until another person comes in to join the prayer. In a congregational prayer, the worshipers follow the imam without leaving any gap between his movement and theirs. When he gives the signal for the next movement, all worshipers follow suit. [Care must be taken not to advance your action in anticipation of that signal for the next movement].

Reference: Arab News