SALAATUL JAMAA’AH
1 ISLAMING RULING & THE IMPORTANCE OF SALAATUL JAMAA’AH :
(1) WAJIB (OBLIGATORY): ONE MUST PRAY THE OBLIGATORY SALAAHS WITH OTHERS IN A GROUP, UNLESS HE HAS A LEGITMATE EXCUSE.
(2) ALLAH (SWT) SAYS IN THE QUR’AN:
<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> (AN-NESSA 4:102)
(3) ABU-HURAYRAH (RA) REPORTED THAT THE PROPHET (SAW) SAID:
“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 (SAW) SAID:
“PRAYING TOGETHER IN A GROUP IS 27 TIMES MORE EXCELLENT THAN PRAYING ALONE.” (COLLECTED BY BUKHARI & MUSLIM)
2 WHO SHOULD BE THE IMAM: (ONE WHO LEADS THE SALAAH)
. UQBAH BIN-AMR REPORTED THAT THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH (SAW) SAID:
“THE ONE TO LEAD THE PEOPLE IN PRAYERS SHOULD BE THE MOST MEMORIZED IN 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)
3 POSITION OF THE IMAM AND HIS FOLLOWERS:
(1) THE IMAM STANDS IN THE FRONT, FACING THE QIBLAH.
(2) THE FOLLOWERS STAND BEHIND THE IMAM.
(3) 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.
4 THINGS THAT CONCERN THE FOLLOWERS:
(1) THE FOLLOWERS SHOULD NOT MAKE ANY ACTS OF SALAAH BEFORE OR WITH THE IMAM, BUT
SHOULD MAKE THEM AFTER.
(2) IF A PERSON REACHES THE SALAAH BEFORE THE IMAM HAS RISEN FROM RUKOO’, HE HAS
GAINED THAT RAK’AH.
(3) IF A PERSON REACHES THE SALAAH AFTER THE IMAM HAS RISEN FROM RUKOO’, HE MUST
MAKE-UP THAT RAK’AH.