Performing the (obligatory) prayers in congregation is mandatory and required of every believing adult male who has no excuse for not doing so.

{And those who remain patient, seeking their Lord’s Countenance, perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), and spend out of that which We have bestowed on them, secretly and openly, and defend evil with good, for such there is a good end} [Surah Al-Rad: 22]

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Offering the prayer in congregation carries 27 times greater reward than offering it alone individually.” [Bukhari, Muslim]

Ibn Masud (May Allâh be pleased with him) reported: He who likes to meet Allah tomorrow (i.e., on the Day of Requital) as a Muslim, should take care and observe the Salat when the Adhan is announced for them. Allah has expounded to your Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) the ways of right guidance, and these (the prayers) are part of the right guidance. If you have to perform Salat in your houses, as this man who stays away (from the mosque) and performs Salat in his house, you will abandon the Sunnah (practice) of your Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and the departure from the Sunnah of your Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)will lead you astray. I have seen the time when no one stayed behind except a well-known hypocrite. I also saw that a man was brought swaying (on account of weakness) between two men till he was set up in a row (in the masjid).
Muslim (Book 04, chapter 85, # 1376)

This Hadith makes the following four points:
1. Emphasis on performing Salat in congregation.
2. The passion of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) for Salat.
3. Evasion(avoidance) from Salat with congregation is a practice of hypocrites.
4. Inducement for following the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) because evasion from it is bound to lead one astray.

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “If the people come to know of the great rewards and benefits of the congregational prayer, they would never stay back but would rush to the masjid for it. The first row merits the highest reward. Two persons praying together get greater rewards than the same praying individually, the rule being that the bigger the congregation, the higher its worth in the sight of Allah.” [Abu Dawud]

Abi Ad-Darda’a (may Allâh be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said “There are not three in a town where no Adhaan is called, and congregational prayers are not established amongst them except that the Shaitan will overcome them, so you must stick to jama’ah because the wolf gets the stray one.” [Abu Dawood and Ahmad]

Abdullah ibn Maktoom (may Allah be pleased with him), a companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who was blind, once came to the messenger of ALLAH and asked him, “Oh Messenger of ALLAH, I am blind, live at a distance, and do not have someone to guide him to the mosque, so can’t you give me consent to pray at home?” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Do you hear the call (adhan)?” Ibn Maktoom replied, “Yes”. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) then said, “I cannot find an excuse for you.”

This proves that when a blind person is not given consent to pray at home, then one who is physically blessed and with no abnormalities can ever think of abstaining from the congregation.

Narrated Usman (may Allah be pleased with him), that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying “The person who observes the Isha prayer in congregation, will have the reward and blessings of staying up half the night in prayer, and the one who observes the Fajr prayer in congregation will have the reward and blessings of staying up the whole night in prayer.” [Tirmidhi]

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “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 Judgment they will be provided with a perfect light.” [Tirmidhi]

Wrath Of Staying Away From Congregational Prayers
The wrath of staying away from congregational prayers could be best understood by this hadith.

The Prophet of ALLAH (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “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 said, “I wish I should tell a Mua’dhin to pronounce the iqamah and appoint someone as Imam in my place, and I should myself go and set fire to the houses of those who do not come out even after hearing the adhan”. [Bukhari, Muslim]

This should be sufficient for us to understand the gravity of leaving the congregation.

Women Attending The Congregational Prayer
Concerning women, it is better and more rewarding for them to pray in their houses than to attend the congregational prayers. However, they may attend the congregational prayer in the mosque, provided it will be secure from any temptation by their attendance. Also, they should avoid wearing or using any attractive or tempting adornment or perfume, and refrain from intermingling with men, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Do not prevent the female slaves of Allah (i.e., women) from the mosques of Allah. They should go without wearing perfume. If one wears perfume, it is not lawful for her to attend the prayer in congregation in the mosque.” [Ahmad and Abu Daawood]

Women Leading The Congregational Prayer
It is forbidden for a woman to lead a man in prayer. If a woman leads a man in prayer, his prayer is void, and he has to make it up.

Must Read Posts:

  1. The Excellence Of Offering Prayer In The Congregation (With Jamaat)
  2. Supremacy Of Congregational Prayer
  3. The Virtues Of Sitting In The Masjid
  4. Nawafil Prayers (Supererogatory Prayers)
  5. Prayers Attended By Angels