Reproach on Giving up of Jamaah

Reproach on Giving up of Jamaah

Just as Allah (Subhanahu Wa Taala) has promised rewards and blessings for obeying His commandments, so has He warned us of the serious consequences and punishments for their neglect. We are slaves to Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) and as such, it is obligatory on us to obey Him. May Allah reward us for our obedience to Him. If He gives reward, it is surely a matter of His extreme favor on us. Similarly, may Allah forgive us if we disobey Him, our Lord Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala), for there can be no greater Forgiver. Allah is more forgiving than a master to his slave.

Hence, no warning or reproach was required to be given. Yet Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) and His Rasul (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) have so very kindly warned us frequently in various ways of the consequences and explained to us again and again, just to save us from disaster, If, even then, we don't take a lesson, who could there be to save us from the inevitable consequences?

Salaah without Jamaah is not accepted

Ibn Abbas (Radiallaho Anho) narrates, “I heard Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) saying, ‘If a person in spite of hearing Azaan does not go to the Masjid (and he prefers to say his Salaah at home) without strong excuse, then his Salaah is not accepted. When the Sahabah inquired as to what could be a strong excuse, he replied, ‘Illness or fear.’”

It may perhaps appear from this Hadith that the Salaah performed at home (after hearing Azaan) is no Salaah at all. The scholars of Hanafi school of Islamic law do not hold this view.

According to them, though the reward and blessings promised for obligatory Salaah will not be awarded, yet the person saying the Salaah at his place does clear himself of the obligation. But, in the opinion of some of the Sahabah and their successors, Salaah with Jamaah (after hearing Azaan) is obligatory and its neglect is forbidden by Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala).

According to many other theologians, such a person is not even relieved of the obligation in respect of Salaah of that hour. Anyhow, he is surely committing the sin of discarding Jamaah. In another Hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas, it is stated that such a person is guilty of disobedience of Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) and His Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam).

Ibn Abbas (Radiallaho Anho) also says, “No good is done by, nor any good is done to, the person who does not join Jamaah after hearing Azaan. ‘Aboo Hurairah (Radiallaho Anho) says, “It's more appropriate to pour molten lead into the ears of a person who does not go to join Jamaah after hearing Azaan.”

Muaaz Ibn Anas (Radiallaho Anho) narrates that he heard Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) saying, “A person who does not go for Salaah after hearing Azaan is committing a great wrong and what he is doing is appropriate only for a non-believer or a hypocrite.’”

According to this Hadith, not to join Jamaah after hearing Azaan does not befit a Muslim and it is the practice of a nonbeliever or a hypocrite. What a strong warning! In another Hadith, it is said, “Not to join Jamaah after hearing Azaan is sufficient to render a person most unfortunate.”

Sulaymaan Ibn Abee Haythamah is one of the eminent people of the early days of Islam. He was born during the lifetime of Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) but was too young then to have had the honor of listening to any Hadith from him. During the Caliphate of Umer he was made in charge of the market.

One day Umer (Radiallaho Anho) found him missing in Fajr Salaah. So he went to his house and inquired from his mother why Sulaymaan was not present in Fajr. She replied, “He kept saying Nafil Salaah throughout the night, and sleep overpowered him at the time of Fajr. At this, Umer (Radiallaho Anho) remarked, “I would prefer my Fajr with Jamaah to my offering Nafil Salaah all night long.”

Abu Hurairah (Radiallaho Anho) narrates that he heard Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) saying, “I wish I could ask the boys to collect a huge quantity of firewood for me, and then I would go around and set fire to the houses of those who say their Salaah at their own houses without any excuse.”

Our Nabi (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) who was most kind and merciful towards his followers and was greatly pained to see them even in a little trouble, gets offended so much that he is ready to set fire to the houses of those who are content with saying Salaah at their houses.

Abu al-Dardaa’ (Radiallaho Anho) narrates that he heard Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) saying, “If there are (even) three persons in a village or in a desert, and they do not say their Salaah with Jamaah, then Shaitan gets hold of them. Remember that Jamaah for Salaah is very necessary for you. Surely a wolf eats up a lonely sheep, and Shaitan is the wolf for men.”

This shows that people busy in farming etc. should arrange to say their Salaah with jamaah if they are three or more in number. Even if they are two, it is better to have Jamaah. The farmers in our country are generally negligent of Salaah and consider their occupation a sufficient excuse for their neglect, and even those who are considered pious prefer to perform their Salaah individually.

If the farmers working in the nearby fields get together at a place and perform Salaah in Jamaah they can have quite a big gathering and thereby receive the wonderful blessing of Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) . Notwithstanding the sun, rain, heat and cold, they keep busy for a small worldly gain, but lose tremendous amount of Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala)’s reward by losing Salaah. On the other hand, they can earn a reward fifty times more (as conveyed in another Hadith) by offering their Salaah with Jamaah in the fields.

It is stated in a Hadith, “When a shepherd calls out Azaan at the foot of a hill (or in the fields) and starts his Salaah Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) is greatly pleased with him and says proudly to the angels: ‘Look at My slave! He has called out Azaan and is offering his Salaah. All this he does, out of fear for Me. I therefore, grant him forgiveness and declare his entry into Jannah.

Ibne Abbas Verdict on Discard of Jamaah

Somebody asked Ibn Abbas (Radiallaho Anho) , “What about a person who keeps fast all day and offers Nafil Salaah all night, but does not go to the Masjid for Jamaah and weekly Friday Salaah’ “He is doomed to Jahannam,” replied Ibn Abbas (Radiallaho Anho) .

Such a person, being a Muslim, may ultimately get freedom from Jahannam but who knows after how long. The ignorant among the people are very particular about Zikr and Nafil Salaah and consider this an act of eminence in piety, while they are not particular about Salaah with Jamaah. It must be clearly borne in mind, for all times, that no person can achieve religious eminence except through complete adherence to the practices of the beloved Nabi (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam).

It is stated in a Hadith that Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) curses three persons: A person who insists on leading the people of a place in Salaah, although they do not like him on some reasonable account; a woman who is under the displeasure of her husband; and a person who hears Azaan but does not go to the Masjid for Salaah with jamaah.

Kab AI-Hibr says, “By Him who revealed the tawraah to Moosa, Injeel to Essa, Zaboor to Dawood (Alaihi Salaam), and the Quran to Muhammad (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) the following Aayah were revealed in respect of saying obligatory Salaah in those place (Masjids) where Azaan is said: ‘On the day when the “Saaq” (Allah's Shin) is revealed and they are ordered to do Sajdah but are not able, with eyes downcast, covered with disgrace. And they had been called to do Sajdah when they were quite hale and healthy” (al-qalam 42-43).

The Saaq is to be displayed on the day of Qiyamah. All Muslims will fall down in Sajdah on seeing this, but there will be some whose backs will turn stiff and they will be unable to do Sajdah. As to who these unlucky persons would be, different interpretations have been given by different commentators. According to this Hadith, which is also confirmed by another narrated by Ibn Abbas and others, those shall be the persons who were called for Salaah with Jamaah but did not go for it.

Another interpretation is that given by Abu Saeed al-Khudree (Radiallaho Anho) who narrates on the authority of Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) that these shall be the persons who used to offer their Salaah for show and hypocrisy. Another interpretation is that these shall be unbelievers who did not say Salaah at all. Another interpretation is that these shall be the hypocrites. Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) knows best and His knowledge is most perfect.

What a terrible thing to be so degraded and disgraced on the day of Qiyamah that, while all Muslims shall fall down in sajdah at seeing Allah’s Shin, those who neglected Salaah with Jamaah shall be singled out by their inability to do so.