NAMAAZ IN CONGREGATION (JAMAAT)
'So remember Me, I shall remember you and be grateful to Me and never be ungrateful'
(Surah Al-Baqara. verse 152)
'..And bow with those who bow (in worship and obedience)'
(Surah Al-Baqara. verse 43)
Performing Namaaz in congregation creates the feelings of Islamic brotherhood. The gap of high and low, weak and strong, scholars and uneducated, the king and the beggar, rich and the poor, the ruler and the ruled come to an end. The congregation constitutes one group.
'Namaaz performed in congregation gains twenty seven times more reward'.
(Imaam Malik, Imaam Bukhari, Imaam Muslim)
Hazrat Anas(Radi Allaahu Anhu) narrates that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, 'one who performs Namaaz in congregation consecutively for forty days starting from takbeer e tahreemah, for him there are two rewards: freedom from the fire of Hell and freedom from the sense of hypocrisy'. (Tirmidhi)
Hazrat Uthman(Radi Allaahu Anhu) narrates that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, 'those who perform Namaaz e Isha with congregation, so to say they have worshipped half night and those who perform Namaaz Fajr with congregation, as if they have worshipped whole night'. (Muslim)
Hazrat Uthman(Radi Allaahu Anhu) narrates that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, 'sins will be absolved of those who after making complete and perfect ablution go to the masjid and perform farz Namaaz along with the imaam. (Nasa'i)
The first row of the congregation near to the imaam is excellent than the second row and the second row is excellent than the third row. (Bahar e Shariyat, Fatawa Alamgiri)
Hazrat Abu Hurairah(Radi Allahu Anhu) narrates that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, 'If people would know what are the rewards in calling the Adhan and being in the first row of the jamaat, they would have drawn their names for the said purpose and without doing so it would be impossible to get the chance'. (Bukhari, Muslim)
Hazrat Abu Omamah(Radi Allaahu Anhu) narrates that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, 'Allah and His angels bestow durood on the first row'. People asked, 'and the second row?' Prophet ﷺ replied, 'Allah and His angels bestow durood on the first row'. Again people asked, 'and the second row?' Then Prophet ﷺ replied, 'on the second row too'. (Imaam Ahmad and Tabrani)
Congregation is a condition for performing the Juma Namaaz, and both the Eid Namaaz. Congregation for Taraveeh Namaaz is sunnat e Kifaayah-(if performed by some in the locality, then it is deemed to have been offered by everyone else in the locality).
If there is only one muqtadee (namazee who follow the imaam in a congregation Namaaz) [even a young boy], he should stand on the right side of the imaam. It is disliked or offensive (makrooh) for a lone muqtadee to stand behind or on the left
side of the imaam. If there are two muqtadee, then they should stand behind the imaam. It is disapproved (makhrooh e tanzeehe) for two muqtadee to stand in a row with the imaam. If there are three muqtadee, it is strongly disapproved (makhrooh e tahreeme) to stand in a row with the imaam.
It is farz for a muqtadee to view and believe the imaam's Namaaz as his own Namaaz. If any muqtadee considers the imaam's Namaaz as inappropriate and meaningless, his Namaaz will be rendered null and void even though the Namaaz of the imaam is authentic. (Bahar e Shariyat, Durr e Mukhtar)
It is strongly disapproved (makhrooh e tahreeme) to leave unoccupied spaces in the congregational rows.
'
Hazrat Anas(Radi Allahu Anhu) narrates that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, 'straighten your rows and stand close to one another, undoubtedly, I see you from back'.
(Bukhari, Nasa'i)
Hazrat Jabir Ibne Sumra(Radi Allaahu Anhu) narrates that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, 'why do not you make rows just like angels make before their Rabb?' The companions(Radi Allaahu Anhum) asked, 'Ya Rasoolullah ﷺ! 'How do angels make rows before their Rabb?' Prophet ﷺ replied, they complete the front row and stand very close to one another'. (Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawood, Nasa'i, Ibne Majah)
Hazrat Abdullah Ibne Umar(Radi Allaahu Anhu) narrates that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, 'Properly arrange the rows of the congregation just similar to those of angels, all should stand shoulder to shoulder, fill the vacant spaces in the rows, be soft among Muslims, do not leave the windows in the rows for the shaitaan, those who unite the rows may Allah Ta'ala unite them and those who cut-off the rows may Allah Ta'ala severe them'.
If for instance, there is a vacant space in the front row and the Namaaz has started, then it is permissible for the person in the second row to fill the space in the first row by splitting the second row. (Bahar e Shariyat, Fatawa Alamgiri)
Whilst arranging the rows, care should be taken to keep the rows of adults at the front, and of the children at the back. Care should be taken from the beginning so that the adults and the children do not stand in the same row.
However, if a child of eight or nine years has stood in the congregation row along the adults and started performing the Namaaz (made the intention and folded his hands), then the child should not be pushed back to make room for the adults. This is strictly forbidden. Similarly, there is no authenticity in the belief that Namaaz becomes void if a child stands with the adults in a row. This is a totally wrong belief.
(Fatawa Razviyah)
Namaaz has been performed in a masjid after adhan and iqamat under the leadership of a sunni imaam. But some people come late and wish to perform in congregation. In such a case, the secondary congregation is permissible. However, adhan should not be called again (i.e prior to the secondary jamaat), but the Namaaz should be established only with the iqamat. The imaam should stand away from the mehrab, either on the left or right. (Bahar e Shariyat, Fatawa Razviyah)
