EXCELLENCE OF CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER

Asalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatu,

My dear brothers/sisters and respected elders.

I hope and pray you are all in the best of health and Iman insha’Allah. We all know the importance of salah, or do we?

I thought it'd be refreshing  and a thought provoking read for you guys, to submit a post on the excellence of performing salah in jamat insha’Allah.

Even on the battlefield there is no exemption from salah for the Muslim. Half of the mujahideen pray in jamat, while the other half guard. After the first raka’, the mujahideen who were praying in jamat turn to guard and the ones who were guarding engage in the second raka’ of salah. The evidence for this is in the qur’anic verses below

" and when you, O Prophet, are among the Muslims and are going to lead them in the Salah (in a state of war), let a party of them stand behind you, carrying their weapons with them. When they have made their prostrations, they should fall back and let another party of them, who have not yet offered Salah, say it with you and they, too, should be on their guard and keep their weapons with them."

(Surah Nur,4:102)

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad sul Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam emphasized on many occasions the importance or praying in congregation and illustrated it's unique virtues.

Here are some ahadith below: -

"Offering the Prayer in congregation carries 27 times greater rewards than offering it alone individually."
(Sahih Bukhari, Muslim)

Why would you not want 27 times more reward?

"Nothing is harder on the hypocrites than the Isha and Fajr Prayer; had they known of the great rewards that Allah would bestow for those Prayers they would never have missed them even if they had to come (to the masjid) on their knees." Then he (sul Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, "I wish I should tell a Mu'adhin to pronounce Iqamah and appoint someone as Imam in my place, and I myself go and set fire to the houses of those who do not come out even after hearing the Adhan."
(Sahih Bukhari, Muslim)

Will you still sit idle upon hearing the adhaan and dare not offer your salah?

"Give good news to those who go to the masjid in the darkness of the night to offer the Prayer in congregation, that on the Day of Judgement they will be provided with a perfect light."
(at-Tirmidhi)

Subhanallah!

ibn Abbas (radi Allahu ‘anhu), has reported that the Prophet (sul Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: "The prayer of the person who does not come to attend the congregational Prayer after hearing the Adhan, will not be acceptable unless he has a valid reason for this." When the Companions asked what was meant by a valid reason, he said: "Fear or illness."
(Abu Dawud)

How many of us truly have a valid reason?

According to Ubayy bin Ka'b (radi Allahu ‘anhu), the Prophet (sul Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: "If the people come to know of the great rewards and benefits of the congregational Prayer, they would never stray back but would rush to the masjid for it. The first row merits the highest rewards and should be regarded as if it consisted of pure angels. Two persons praying together merit greater rewards than each praying individually, the rule being that the larger the congregation, the higher its rewards in the sight of Allah."
(Abu Dawud)

You shouldn't miss your salah for a start, (If you do, it's a blatant act of disbelief/kufr) furthermore you should strive to reap all the rewards and benefits from salah by praying in congregation.

According to Anas (radi Allahu ‘anhu), the Prophet (sul Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: "The person who offers his Prayers continuously for 40 days without missing the first takbir, is granted a twofold immunity by Allah - immunity from Hellfire and immunity from hypocrisy."
(at-Tirmidhi)

Alhamdulillah, may Allah (swt) guide us and make us of those who earn his pleasure and not of those who earn his wrath, or of those who go astray. May Allah give us the courage and strength to adhere to kitab-allah and follow the sunnah of our beloved prophet Muhammad (sul Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). May Allah (swt) forgive us for our short comings, and protect us from all that is evil, seen and unseen. Ameen