The Importance of Salaatul Jamaa’ah Prayer
Here you will understand the importance of Saltul Sajamah and why is salat-al-jama’ah better than praying alone. Let’s understand from the below points:
1. Wajib (obligatory): One must pray the obligatory salawaat with others in a group, unless he has a legitimate excuse.
2. Allah (swt) says in the quran: (surah annisaá: 102):
وَإِذَا كُنتَ فِيهِمْ فَأَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَآئِفَةٌۭ مِّنْهُم مَّعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوٓا۟ أَسْلِحَتَهُمْ فَإِذَا سَجَدُوا۟ فَلْيَكُونُوا۟ مِن وَرَآئِكُمْ وَلْتَأْتِ طَآئِفَةٌ أُخْرَىٰ لَمْ يُصَلُّوا۟ فَلْيُصَلُّوا۟ مَعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوا۟ حِذْرَهُمْ وَأَسْلِحَتَهُم (النساء:102)
(…and when you are among them and lead them in prayer, let one party stand with you taking their arms with them; when they finish their sujood, let them take their positions in the rear and let the other party come up which has not yet prayed and let them pray with you taking all precautions and bearing arms) (Surah An-nisa (4):102).
3. Abu-Hurayrah reported that the prophet (PBUH) said:
ليس صلاة أثقل على المنافقين من الفجر والعشاء ولو يعلمون ما فيهما لأتوهما ولو حبوا (رواه البخاري ومسلم)
“No salaah is harder for the hypocrites than the fajr and ‘isha prayers, and if they knew the reward for these prayers (at their respective times), they would have come to them even if they had to crawl.” (collected by bukhari & muslim).
4. Ibn-omar reported that the messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
(صلاة الجماعة تفضل صلاة الفذ بسبع وعشرين درجة” (رواه البخاري ومسلم”
“praying together in a group is 27 times more excellent than praying alone.” (collected by bukhari & muslim).
Who Should Be The Imam During the Prayer?
What is Imaam? Imaam means the one who leads the Salaah (Islamic prayer).
Uqbah bin-amr reported that the messenger of allah (r) said:
يؤم القوم أقرؤهم لكتاب الله فإن كانوا في القراءة سواء فأعلمهم بالسنة فإن كانوا في السنة سواء فأقدمهم هجرة فإن كانوا في الَجرة سواء فأقدمهم سلما (رواه مسلم)
“the one to lead the people in prayers should be the one who has memorized the most of the book of Allah; and if they are equal in memorization, then the most knowledgeable in the sunnah; and if they are equal in the sunnah, then the earliest to make hijrah; and if they are equal in making hijrah, then the earliest to embrace Islam.” (collected by Muslim)
Position of the Imam and His Followers
- The imam stands in the front, facing the Qiblah.
- The followers stand behind the imam.
- The first rows are better than the last rows. The right side of the row is better than the left. Being closer to the imam is better than being far.
Things That Concern the Followers
- The followers should not make any acts of Salaah before or with the imam, but should make them after.
- If a person reaches the salaah before the imam has risen from Rukoo’, he has gained that rak’ah.
- If a person reaches the salaah after the imam has risen from Rukoo’, he must make-up that rak’ah.
Allah knows the best. May Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) guide all of us to His Truth and purify of our intentions, and allow us to enter Jannah together. And may Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) accept all our good deeds and help us in the cause, forgive our mistakes and make us amongst the Muntaqeen & By His Mercy make us all Inhabitants of Jannah. Ameen ya rabbal’alameen.
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