It is a great favour of Allah Pak for us that He has made Salah obligatory for us and commanded Muslim men to offer Salah with Jama’at at the fixed timings and has promised them great blessings and gifts in the world and the Hereafter for offering Salah with Jama’at. On the contrary, He عَزَّوَجَلَّ has given countless warnings to those who miss congregational Salah (Salah with Jama’at). In today’s weekly Sunnah-inspiring Ijtima of Dawat-e-Islami, we will listen to the virtues and blessings of offering Salah with Jama’at as well as warnings of punishments for missing Jama’at. Let’s first of all listen to a parable.

Excellence of offering Salah with Jama’at

It is stated on page 273 of ‘Uyoon-ul-Hikayaat’, a book consisting of 2 volumes published by Maktaba-tul-Madinah, containing beautiful admonitory parables: Sayyiduna ‘Ubaydullah Bin ‘Umar Qawaareeri رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has stated: I have always offered ‘Isha Salah with Jama’at, but unfortunately once I missed the Jama’at of ‘Isha Salah. It happened because a guest came to me and I remained busy offering him hospitality. Having offered hospitality when I reached the Masjid, the Jama’at had been ended.  I started thinking as to what deed I should do to compensate this loss. Suddenly, I recalled the blessed saying of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم: ‘A Salah with Jama’at is 21 times superior to the Salah offered alone.’ Similarly, a Hadees stating          25 times superior and 27 times superior has also been narrated. (Sahih Bukhari, vol. 1, pp. 243, Hadees 645)

I thought if I offered Salah 27 times, perhaps it would make up for the deficit that occurred due to missing Jama’at. I offered Isha Salah 27 times, and then I fell asleep. I saw myself with some horse riders; we all were going somewhere. In the meantime, one of them told me: You do not cause your horse to take pains, undoubtedly, you cannot join us.’ I asked: ‘Why can’t I join you?’ He replied, ‘Because we have offered Isha Salah with Jama’at.’

(Uyoon-ul-Hikayaat, vol. 2, pp. 94)

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب              صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد