The Virtues and Importance of Jama’at

So many Sahih Ahadith have been narrated with regards to the virtues and importance of jama’at that if all of them had to be collected at one place, a large voluminous book would get filled. After examining all these Ahadith, one aspect is very apparent, i.e. jama’at is a very important prerequisite for the perfection of salaat. Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam never ever discarded jama’at. So much so that when he fell ill and did not have the strength to walk on his own, he came to the musjid with the assistance of two people and offered his salaat with jama’at. He used to become extremely angry on the person who did not offer his salaat with jama’at and desired to mete out severe punishment on the abandoning of jama’at. Without doubt, very great importance has been attached to offering salaat with jama’at in the Shariah of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. And it ought to have been like this. The high status of salaat demanded that whatever was going to complement it should also be given full importance.

We will now quote a verse which some commentators and jurists have used as a proof on the establishment of jama’at. Thereafter, we shall quote a few Ahadith. The verse reads as follows:

{وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ {البقرة: 43

Translation: “And bow down (in prayer) with those who bow down.” (i.e. with jama’at).

There is an explicit order to offer salaat with jama’at in this verse. But because a few commentators have taken “bow down” (ruku) to mean “humility” (khudu), therefore the fardiyyat (compulsion) of salaat with jama’at cannot be established (from this verse).