Alhuda Bolton

The Importance of the Congregational Prayer

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by

alhudabolton
in , ,

Sat 8th June 2019

Lesson 49: Importance of the Congregational Prayer

  • Danger of limiting worship just to Ramadhan
  • The importance of the congregational prayer
  • Hadith that the congregational prayer is superior to the individual prayer by 27 times
  • Hadith of the reward for the one who makes his wudhu, perfects it, leaves his home for no other reason than to go to the mosque
  • The hadith of the blind man who came to the Prophet (ﷺ) asking about attending the mosque or praying at home for the congregational prayer
  • Statement of Shaykh Ibn Baz about these three ahaadeeth
  • It is important for every muslim man to strive and make effort to attend the congregational prayer
  • The dua of the angels for the one who attends the mosque for the congregational prayer
  • The one who comes to the masjid and waits for the congregational prayer gets rewarded as though he is in prayer while he waits.
  • Is there reward for waiting after the prayer has finished?
  • It is from the sunnah that one should complete his wudhu at home and then go to the mosque
  • The significance of the narration about the blind man
  • Hadith about the person who hears the adhan but does not come to the masjid and has no valid excuse, then there is no prayer for him
    • What are acceptable excuses?
      • 1. Fear
      • 2. illness
  • Therefore it is important that a person strives in attending the congregational prayer

Missing the prayer and hypocrisy

  • What about the one who abandons the congregational prayer? What did the Prophet (ﷺ) say about those?
  • How the Sahabah strove to attend the congregational prayer
  • Allah says: “Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives them. And when they stand up for As-Salat (the prayer), they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little.” [Surah An-Nisaa (The Women) verse 142]
  • The danger of praying with laziness and characteristics of the Munafiqeen (Hypocrites)
  • Praying with one’s heart and body, and not just your body

Worship and Patience

  • Worship is something that requires patience
  • For example the Fajr prayer, and the Isha prayer
  • A person should be patient upon the obedience of Allah, then this is an act of worship
  • We often do more acts of worship during Ramadhan, why not continue them afterwards?

What is the ruling regarding the Women?

  • Women can attend the mosques if they wish, in fact the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered the companions not to prevent them
  • However, the Prophet (ﷺ) said it is better for them (women) to pray in their homes
  • What is the evidence for this?
  • In contrast to this, men must attend the congregational prayer in the mosque
  • Question: When women go for Hajj or Umrah, they can go the the two holy mosques if they wish, however is it still better for them to pray at home? Even there?

Q&A

  • Some people visit the grave specifically on Eid day, is this correct
  • How much will the reward be multiplied woman get by staying at home
  • Can women pray in congregation at home?
  • Is it obligatory for women to attend the Jumuah (Friday) prayer?
  • What if it is raining heavily? Does a man have to attend
  • What about combining maghrib and Isha prayers due to isha being late (e.g. in the summer months)? Can this be done every day whilst the time for Isha is late? Is it just a one off?