As has already been said in the Foreword, there are many who say their Salaah regularly but are not very particular about Jamaah. Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) is as forceful in urging Jamaah as he is particular about Salaah. This chapter also consists of two parts. The fist deals with the rewards of Jamaah and second with consequences of its neglect.

The Rewards of Jamaah

Salaah with Jamaah is Twenty-seven Times Superior

Abdullah Ibn Umer (Radiallaho Anho) narrates that he heard Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) saying: “A Salaah with Jamaah is twenty-seven times superior to Salaah performed individually.”

When we offer our Salaah for getting reward from Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) then why should it not be done in the Masjid, where the reward earned is twenty seven times more? Nobody will be so unwise as to give up a profit twenty-seven times greater with simply a little extra labor. However, we are so indifferent about the rewards promised for our religious practices. This can be due to nothing but our disregard for Deen and the rewards. It is a pity that we apply ourselves so hard to get the petty gains in this material world; but are so unmindful of the gains in the Akhirah, which yield twenty-seven times more with a little extra effort.

We often argue that for going to Masjid for Jamaah we have to close the shop and will thus lose business. These excuses and others of the kind cannot stand in the way of those who have perfect faith in the Greatness of Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) and in His Word and who realize the value of the blessings and rewards in the Akhirah. It is in respect of such people that Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) says, “Men, whom neither merchandise nor sale stops from remembrance of Allah and constancy in Salaah (al-noor 37).

It is said of Saalim al-Haddaad (Rehmatullah Alaihi), a trader and a great Pious, that on hearing Azaan he would turn pale and grow restless. He would stand up immediately, leaving his shop open, and recite these couplets:

1. When Your inviter calls to Salaah, quickly I stand up, to respond to (the summons of) the Mighty Allah who hath no equal.

2. I reply to the summons with complete submission and cheer, “Here I am, O Bountiful One.”

3. My face grows pale with awe and fear, and occupation with Thee distracts me from all other occupations.

4. I swear by Thee, nothing is dear to me save Thy remembrance. Nothing is more enjoyable for me than Thy sweet name.

5.O will there be a time for us to be together? A lover is happy only when he is with the beloved.

6. He whose eyes have seen the light of Thy Beauty can never be comforted. He must die wishing for Thee.

It is said in a Hadith: “People regularly attending the Masjid are its pegs (dwellers); angels are their companions and visit them when they are sick and help them when they are at their work.”

Abu Hurairah (Radiallaho Anho) narrates that he heard Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) saying, “Salaah with Jamaah is twenty-five times superior to Salaah which is performed in the house or shop. It is so because when a person performs wudoo in right earnest and walks on to Masjid, with-the sole intention of performing Salaah, each step he takes, adds one blessing to his account and wipes out one sin there from. Again, if he keeps sitting in the Masjid (with Wudu’ of course) after the Salaah is over, the angels keep on seeking Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) ’s mercy and forgiveness for him. And, as long as he keeps sitting in the Masjid waiting for Salaah, he goes on earning rewards as if he is busy in Salaah.”

In Hadith No. 1, the superiority of Salaah of Jamaah over that offered individually is described as being twenty seven times more, while this Hadith promises only twenty-five times. Various theologians have discussed at length this difference. The following are some of the explanations:

l. This variation from twenty-five to twenty-seven is due to variation of sincerity in different individuals.

2. In Salaah where the Quran is recited quietly (i.e. Zuhr and Asr), it is twenty-five times, while in Salaah where the Quran is recited aloud (i.e. Fajr, Maghrib and Isha), it is twenty-seven times.

3. In Fajr and Isha, when it is somewhat inconvenient to go out due to cold and darkness, it is twenty-seven times, but in other Salaah it is twenty-five times.

4. In the beginning it was twenty-five times, but later on Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) (by special favor on the followers of Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) raised the reward to twenty-seven times.

Some others have brought forward a still finer explanation. They say that the reward for Salaah with Jamaah stated in this Hadith is not merely 25 times but a doubling twenty-five times, which comes to 33,554,432 times. This is something not beyond the bountiful mercy of Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala). When neglect of one Salaah can cause punishment in Jahannam for one huqb (as we have seen in the last chapter), so much reward for one Salaah with Jamaah is quite understandable.

Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) has also explained to us how the reward goes on increasing in the case of a person who, after performing Wudu’, leaves his house with the sole intention of joining Jamaah for Salaah in the Masjid. Each step he takes, brings one reward and washes away one sin.

Banoo Salamah, a clan in Madinah, had their houses at some distance. They intended to shift close to the Masjid. Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam), however, advised them saying: Stay where you are. Every step you take when coming to Masjid is written in your account.” It is said in a Hadith: “The likeness of a person performing Wudu’ at home and then leaving for the Masjid is as a person who is going out for hajj after taking upon himself all the required restrictions.”

Further, in the same Hadith, Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) points to another act of great value i.e., as long as one remains sitting in the Masjid after Salaah is over, the angels make Dua for him asking forgiveness and mercy. The angels are the innocent and holy creation of Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) So, the effectiveness of their Dua is quite clear.

Muhammad Ibn Simaaah is a famous theologian and sheikh, He died at the age of one hundred and three. He used to perform two hundred Rakaats of Nafil Salaah daily. He writes: “For forty years, I never missed being present for Salaah when the person leading Salaah starts Salaah by saying Allah o Akbar, except for once when my mother had died.”

The same sheikh writes: “Once I missed the Jamaah As I knew that Salaah with Jamaah was twenty-five times superior, I repeated this Salaah (individually) twenty-five times to make up the loss. I heard in my dream someone saying to me, ‘Muhammad! You have repeated your Salaah 25 times (in the hope of making good the loss) but what about the Aameen by the angels?”

It is reported in many Ahadith that when the person leading Salaah says Aameen after Surah Al-Fatiha the angels also say Aameen and all the past sins of a person whose Aameen coincides with that of the angels are forgiven. This is possible only in a Salaah with Jamaah. Hence Maulana Abd al-Hayy quoting this story about the sheikh writes: “Even if a person goes on repeating his Salaah (individually) a thousand times, he cannot get the collective blessing of a Salaah with Jamaah.

This is obvious: He not only loses Aameen with angels but also the blessings of the congregation and the Dua of the angels after Salaah, with many other spiritual benefits. It should also be borne in mind that the Dua of angels can be deserved only when the Salaah is a proper one. If the Salaah of a person is not as it should be, and (according to a Hadith) thrown back like a dirty rag at his face, then how can the angels make Dua for him?

Abdullah Ibn Masood (Radiallaho Anho) says: “If one wishes to meet Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) on the Day of Qiyamah as a Muslim, he must say his Salaah at a place where Azaan is called out (a Masjid), as Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) has laid down through His Nabi (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) such practices which are nothing but complete guidance, and Salaah (with Jamaah) is one of them. If you start saying your Salaah at your houses (as so and so is doing), then you will give up the Sunnah of your Nabi (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) and as soon as you leave his Sunnah, then you go astray. When a person performs Wudu correctly and then leaves for the Masjid; at each step that he takes, he gets one blessing and has one sin wiped out. During the lifetime of Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) no one would miss Jamaah except an open hypocrite or someone really ill. Even the hypocrites dared not miss the Jamaah and a sick person who could be taken to Masjid with the help of two men would be helped to join jamaadah.

This shows the extreme care of the Sahabah over their Salaah with Jamaah. Even a sick person was brought to the Masjid somehow or the other, even though it needed two men to help him. This care was quite natural when they found our Nabi (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) himself so very particular about it. It is said that when Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) was on his deathbed, and he repeatedly fainted, he succeeded in making Wudu after several attempts and, though he could hardly stand, went to the Masjid with the help of Abbas (Radiallaho Anho) and another Sahabi. Abu Bakr (Radiallaho Anho) led the Salaah at his command and he himself joined the Jamaah.

Abu al-Dardaa’ (Radiallaho Anho) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) once said to him, Worship your Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) as if you see Him before you, count yourself among the dead, beware of the curse of the wronged ones and, even if you have to crawl to the Masjid, do not miss Isha and Fajr with Jamaah.

It is said in another Hadith, Isha’ and Fajr are very heavy on hypocrites. If they knew the reward of the Jamaah they would go to the Masjid and join the Jamaah even if they had to crawl.

Anas Ibn Maalik (Radiallaho Anho) narrates that he heard Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) saying, “A person who, in all sincerity, is constant in his Salaah with Jamaah for forty days, without missing being present when the person leading Salaah starts Salaah by saying Allah o Akbar receives two awards: one of freedom from Jahannam and the other of freedom from hypocrisy.

If a person is regular in his Salaah (with sincerity) for forty days and joins the Jamaah from the very start (i.e. when the person leading Salaah begins Salaah by saying Allah o Akbar) then he shall neither be a hypocrite nor shall he go to Jahannam. A hypocrite is a person who pretends being a Muslim, but there is Kufr in his heart.

The development and the birth of man (according to a Hadith) takes place in periods of forty days. This seems to be the significance of forty days in this Hadith, and so the pious attach importance to the period of forty days for purposes of spiritual progress.

Lucky indeed are the persons who for years do not miss being present when the person leading Salaah begin Salaah by saying Allah o Akbar.

Reward on going to Masjid even if Jamaah is missed

Aboo Hurairah Radi Allaho Anho narrates that he heard Rasulullah Sallallaho alayhi wa sallam saying, "A person who performs Wudoo carefully and then goes to the Masjid and finds that Jamaah is over, receives a reward equal to that of Jamaah. This would not lessen anything from the reward of those who have actually performed their Salaah with Jamaah."

This is indeed Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala)'s great favor and beneficence that mere effort and a slight exertion is enough to entitle us to a reward of Jamaah, though actually we fail to join it . No one else is the loser when we ourselves are unwilling and miss the bounties of the most Bountiful.

This Hadith also shows that we should not postpone going to Masjid for fear of Jamaah being over. Even if we find on reaching Masjid that Jamaah is over, We will still get the reward thereof. If, however one is certain beforehand that the Salaah is over, then there is no harm in not going to the Masjid.

The bigger the Jamaah the more the reward

Qubaath ibn Ashyam al-laythi Radiallaho Anho Anho narrates that he heard Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) saying , "Allah likes the Salaah of two people together with one leading and one following more than the Salaah of four persons separately . Similarly four persons performing Salaah with Jamaah are liked by Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) more than eight persons saying it individually.

Similarly again eight persons performing Salaah with Jamaah are liked by Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) more than 100 persons saying it individually". In another Hadith it is said, "A big Jamaah is more liked by Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) than a small Jamaah."

Some people think that there is no harm in having a small Jamaah of their own at their houses or at their business place. This is not correct, as in the first place, they are deprived of the reward of saying Salaah in Masjid and secondly they lose the blessing of Salaah with a big Jamaah.

The bigger the gathering , the more pleasing it is to Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala). Why should we not adopt a manner more pleasing to him? It is reported in a Hadith that Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) is pleased to see three things, namely a row of worshipers offering Salaah with Jamaah, a person busy in Salaah at Tahajjud in the dead of night and a person fighting in the path of Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala).

Sahl Ibn Saad (Radiallaho Anho) narrates that he heard Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) saying, “Give good news to those who go to the Masjid often during hours of darkness, for they will have perfect noor on the day of Qiyamah.

The value of going to the Masjid in the darkness of night shall be realized on the fearful day of Qiyamah, when everybody shall be in a very miserable condition. A person putting himself to inconvenience in the hours of darkness in this world shall be greatly rewarded in the next world, as he shall carry with him a light brighter than that of the sun.

In a Hadith it is reported that such persons shall occupy shining seats with no worry at all, while others will be in great confusion. In another Hadith, it is said, “Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) will say on the day of Qiyamah ‘Where are My neighbors?’ The angels will inquire, ‘Who are Thy neighbors, 0 Allah!’ Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) will reply, ‘Those who used to go to Masjids.’”

In a Hadith it is said, “Of all the places on this earth, the Masjids are the dearest to Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) and the markets are the most disliked.” In another Hadith the Masjids are called “gardens of Jannah.”

Abu Saeed (Radiallaho Anho) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallaho Alaihi Wassallam) once said, “Bear witness to the Iman of the person regularly going to the Masjid, and then he recited the following ayah of the Quran: ‘He only shall tend Allah’s Masjids who believes in Allah and the Last Day’ (al-tawbah 18).”

The following are a few more Ahadith about the blessings of Salaah with Jamaah.

Making Wudu when inconvenient, walking towards Masjid and sitting there (after one Salaah) waiting for the next Salaah, wipes out the sins. The farther a person lives from Masjid, the more blessings he receives. This is so because a person coming from a distance shall have to walk more and, as we have seen, every step will get him a blessing. For this very reason some Sahabah have been reported to be taking short steps in going to Masjid, in order to earn more blessings.

Another Hadith states that there are three things in this world for which people would fight with one another if they came to know their rewards. These are: To call out Azaan, to go to Masjid for Zuhr in the scorching heat of the sun, and to be in the first line while in Salaah with Jamaah.

In another Hadith it is said that seven persons shall be under the shade of Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) 's mercy on the day of Qiyamah when everybody will be in great confusion under the intense heat of the sun. One of them will be the person whose heart remains attached to Masjid. He is anxious to return to the Masjid if he leaves it on any account. Another Hadith narrates that Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) loves those who love the Masjid.

Each article of faith in Islam is a source of countless blessings and rewards from Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) and carries unlimited benefits showered on those who follow it. Besides, no commandment of Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) is without a deep meaning. It is, however, often difficult to understand the full benefits of Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) 's commandments, as no one can reach His Knowledge and Wisdom. Some of the Ulama of Islam have tried to explain the importance of Salaah with Jamaah but their explanations vary with the extent of their understanding.

Our respected sheikh Shah Waliullaah al-Dihlawee (may Allah Taala illumine his grave), in his famous book Hujjatullaah al-baalighah, writes:

“To save the people from the deadly effects that their own customs and rituals can bring them, there is nothing more useful than to make one of the religious services so common a custom and so public a ritual that it may be performed openly before everybody by any person, whether he be learned or illiterate. The town-folk and the countrymen should both be equally anxious to observe it. It should become a subject of competition and pride among all of them, and it should be so universally practiced that it becomes a part and parcel of their social setup, so much so, that life without it may be worthless for them. If this is achieved, it will help in establishing the worship and obedience of Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) and will form a very useful substitute for those false rituals and customs which could cause them serious harm. Since Salaah is the only religious practice that exceeds all others in importance and universality, both in reason and authority, it becomes, therefore, absolutely necessary to get it established universally by propagating it and by arranging special gatherings, where it can be performed with absolute unity of form and purpose.

Further, in every community or religious society, there are only a few who have the capacity to lead, while the rest simply follow. There are some others who can be corrected with a little advice or warning. Then there is a third class of people who are very weak in faith and, if they are not made to worship in public, they are likely to discard it altogether. It is, therefore, in the best interests of the Islamic society that all its members perform the worship collectively and in congregation, so that the non-observers may be distinguished from the observers and the unwilling from the willing. This will also cause the people with less knowledge to follow the Ulama and make the ignorant learn, from the learned, the particular requirements of worship. The worshipper will distinguish right from wrong and genuine from false, so that the right and the genuine may prevail and the wrong and the false may be suppressed.”

“Besides, these congregations of people loving Allah (Subhanahu wa Taala) seeking His mercy, constantly fearing Him and having their hearts and souls turned to Him alone, have the wonderful effect of causing His blessings to descend from Jannah.”