Congregational Ṣalāt
Wisdom behind Congregational Ṣalāt and its Merits
1- Knowing other brothers, loving each other for the sake of Allah and strengthening ties of love; without which, perfect faith would not have been easy to achieve. This is because, there is no path to faith and paradise except by loving for the sake of Allah.
2- Freedom from hypocrisy and the hell fire. This is for someone who meets the initiating Takbeer of every Ṣalāt for forty consecutive days.
3- Facilitating the reunion of Muslims and bringing their hearts together in goodness and righteousness.
4- Solidarity among the Muslims and helping one another in issues affecting them.
5- Demonstrating the religious rites and its strength.
6- Unifying the hearts of the Muslims, as in the same row of Ṣalāt there is gathered the White, Black, Arabs, non-Arabs, old, young, rich and the poor, side by side, in a single mosque, behind one imam, at the same time, towards the same direction and with the same intention.
7- Infuriating the enemies of Allah. This is because the Muslims will not cease to be powerful and invulnerable as long as they uphold the observation of congregational Ṣalāt in the mosque.
8- Eradication of misdeeds, and rising in ranks. It was reported on the authority of Abu Hurairah t, who reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Should I direct you to that by which Allah eradicates sins and raises the levels?” They replied: “Yes, Oh Messenger of Allah.” Then the Prophet said: “Performing ablution when it is disliked, taking many steps to the mosques, and waiting for Ṣalāt one after the other. That is striving in the cause of Allah.” [ Source: Muslim.]
9- Observing Ṣalāt in congregation is better than observing it alone by twenty-seven degrees. On the authority of Abdullah ibn Umar t,, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Congregational Ṣalāh is better than that observed alone by twenty-seven degrees.” [ Source: Al-Bukhari.]
- Congregational Prayer (Ṣalāt ) at Home.
It is not advised for any individual or congregation to observe Ṣalāt at home while a mosque is close to them. However if the Mosque is far away, and they did not hear the call to prayer, then there is no sin on them if they observe it in congregation at home.
