Prayers in Congregation
Written by: SK.
Translated by Dr. Faheem Bukhatwa
dd mmm yyyy h
dd mmm yyyy ac
Thanks be to Allah, the
Lord of the worlds. Peace and prayers be upon the
most honorable of all messengers Mohammad; and all his folks, companions, and
followers to the day they are all summoned together.
In the name of Allah
Most Gracious the Most Merciful.
Dear brothers, Islam
does not consider it enough for a Muslim to perform his prayers in isolation.
Islam strongly requires that prayers be performed in a congregation or group
of Muslims and in a Mosque. Allah says: {do the prayers, bring your donations,
and kneel down with those who kneel.}
Congregation prayers
have great status in Islam and with Allah. And for that purpose Allah
instructed to build mosques. The first thing the messenger (PPBU) when he
immigrated to Medina was to build a mosque. Allah instructed that a call for a
group prayer is made at the highest place at the highest voice. The messenger
(PPBU) used to inspect the congregation for those who are missing, and
threaten those who intentionally miss it. The messenger PPBU said: {I almost
intend to give order for the prayer to be performed, and I order some man to
lead the group prayer. And I go with a group of men carrying logs and firewood
to men who do not come to pray, and get their homes burned down on top of
them}, while in another version of the hadeeth the messenger was reported
saying: {except not for the women and siblings I would perform the Eshaa
prayer and order some young men to burn down those homes.}
The messenger PPBU told
of those who continuously attend congregation prayers, and his heart is
attached to it and to the mosques is that in the day of resurrection they are
in the shade or shadow of Allah when there will be no shade but his.
The messenger PPBU was
also reported saying:{There are seven who Allah will have them in his shade on
the day when there is no other shade but his: (and they are:) a just (or fair
and right) leader, a young person who grew up worshipping Allah be exulted,
and a man whose heart is attached to mosques, and two men loved one another
for the sake of Allah, they met on that and they parted on that. And a man who
is invited by a rich woman with high status but he says: “I fear Allah”. And a
man who gave a charity and he kept it hidden, such that his left hand did not
know how much his right hand has donated. And a man who alone, mentioned or
remembered Allah and his eyes over filled.}
The messenger also said:
{if you see a man accustomed in attending mosques, then bare witness that his
a believer}
Allah said {Allah’s
houses are made prosperous by those who believe in Allah and in the day
after.}
Allah has also made
walking to a congregation prayer a cause of clearing sins. The messenger said:
{whoever goes to a mosque for a congregation, then while walking, for each
step a sin is wiped out, and for the next step a good deed is written. In the
way up and in the way back.} and the messenger PPBU also said: {This who
leaves his home with cleanliness fit for prayer (Tahara), going for a
congregation prayer then his reward is the same as that for a Haj who is doing
Ihram}. Al7hamd-lil-Allah, imagine the size of reward the Haj receives, you
can receive the equivalent of that five times every day just for heading off
to the mosque for the prayer. Then what the reward would be for the actual
prayer in congregation itself.
On the other hand, there
is no excuse for an individual in not attending any prayer in congregation if
the individual is healthy and able. The messenger has promised those who walk
to mosques in the times of darkness with the complete light in the day of
resurrection.
The messenger PPBU told
of a resting place is prepared by Allah in paradise for this who keeps
attending congregation prayers. One place for each time he goes and another
place for each time he returns. It is not even possible to imagine what the
place may be like if it is prepared by Allah himself. And if this reward is
just for going and coming back, then you can imagine the reward for actually
performing the prayer itself in a group.
The messenger PPBU said:
{this who does a good Wathoo in his house and comes to the mosque to pray then
he is a visitor to or a guest for Allah. And it is the visitor’s right to be
honored by the host}
Dear brothers let us
make certain we are honored by the Lord of the worlds by keeping this
important pillar of congregation prayers. Let us compete in attending group
prayers. Remember what the messenger PPBU said: {This who do his prayers in
congregation for 40 days by making it at the first takbeer of each (attending
right at the start of each) Allah will right 2 exonerations (or clearances):
One exoneration from fire, and exoneration from hypocrisy.} May we all be
granted those two exonerations.
Dear brother whom we do
not regularly see at our congregation prayers in this mosque of ours, or who
neglect attending the congregation prayer. Did you know or not know that no
excuse is accepted by Allah for not attending a congregation prayer even in a
state of war. Allah does not exempt even a blind Muslim from attending prayers
in congregation.
A blind man came asking
the messenger PPBU to be excused from attending the mosque because he has no
one to lead him. He asked him “do you hear the call?” he said yes. The
messenger said “Then answer the call.”
Dear Muslims, much but
just a little of much that was said about prayers in general. But more
specifically, even more definitiveness was given to two of the five prayers:
the Isah (late evening) and the Fajr (dawn). The messenger said: {Whoever does
Isah prayer in congregation, it is as if he stayed up praying half the night.
And whoever does Fajr prayer in congregation it is as if he stayed up all
night}.
The messenger PPBU said
{The heaviest of the prayers on the hypocrites are the Isha and the Fajr
prayers. And if you just know what they have in rewards, then you would come
to them even if you had to crawl.}
Notes:
-
Adhan
- The call to prayer.
-
Ansar (or Al-Ansar):
The inhabitants of the city of Al-Medina that received and supported the
messenger (PPBU) when he immigrated from Mekkah in the very early years of
Islam.
Assalam Alaikum -
The Islamic greeting, literately means: Peace
be with you. Used when approaching or leaving. When used during approaching
it will be like saying: I bring no harm to you . and when said during
leaving somebody it will mean: No harm will come to you after I leave.
Aya (or Ayah):
is a verse of the Koran.
It also means a miracle or a sign from God.
Arafa (or Arafah or Arafat):
is a mountain
outside the city of Mecca
that represents the climax of the Hajj worship. All doing
Hajj must stay at this location on the same
day.
Badr
- The place of the first significant battle between the Muslims and the
pagans of the Quraish. It is located in Saudi Arabia.
Caliph
- A Muslim ruler. See:
(Khalifa)
Dajjal
- Antichrist or the False Massiah.
Dawah
- The proliferation of Islamic teachings through word and deed.
Deen (Din)
- Religion or way of life.
Duaa:
a prayer in the form of
talking to Allah;
praising him and asking him for help.
Fatwa
- Legal verdict given based on the Qur'an (Koran) and the Sunnah which are
the recorded sayings and deeds of Muhammad.
Ferdose:
is the highest level of
the all the gardens of Eden or paradise.
Fiqh
- Religious law.
Hadeeth:
is something reported
that the messenger have said. It includes all the speeches and ceremonies he gave.
It is usually narrated or told by one
of his companions. There is a list of hadeeths approximately 14000 that are
reported and checked to be genuine. No
more hadeeths are acceptably added to this list.
Hajar -
The Black Stone set into the corner of the
Ka'aba in Mecca. It is said to be a stone from Heaven.
Hajj -
The pilgrimage to Mecca which takes place in
the last month of the Islamic calendar. One of the five pillars of Islam.
Hasana or hasanas:
is the reward for a good deed. a hasana is a point or a merit for a good deed.
Hadith
- The sayings and not deeds of the prophet Muhammad recorded by his
followers. Considered authoritative and perfect.
Hajj: is
the worship of pilgrimage.
Hijra (or
Hejrah):
the event of the immigration of the messenger from Mekkah to Madina. This
event marks the start of the Islamic calendar. the Islamic calendar has 12
months based on the lunar cycle, each is 29.5 days. Hijra is also used as a
name for the Islamic dating system.
Ibadah -
Worship. All the words and deeds with which
Allah is pleased. These deeds could be prayer and charity.
Iblis - (Ibleese):
On of Satan's names.
Ibn (Ebn): the son of. Used
by Arabs as part of an individual's name. Example: Ali whose father is Omar
or the son of Omar, would be called: Ali Ibn
Omar.
Imam
(or Emam)- The leader for a prayer. In the Shiaa sect, an Imam is the individual who has the religious authority.
Iman:
belief or faith
Injil (Enjeel) -
The Bible. The book inspired to Jesus for the
Christians.
Islam
- Submission, the religion of all the
prophets of Allah culminating in Muhammad.
Jannah -
The heavenly garden, Paradise. The place of
the faithful in the afterlife.
Jihad:
is striving in the
line
of Allah in many forms. Includes a very wide scope varying from improving
oneself to fighting a defensive war in protection
of Allah's word. The greatest Jihad is the
fight one's self against temptations.
It also means "holy war."
Jinn
-
Supernatural, invisible beings race of
beings, below angels. They were made from fire. Like humans, there amongst
them are the faithful and the non beleivers and Jinn shall be judged on
Judgment Day.
Ka'aba:
A cube shaped building in
Mecca containing a stone laid there by Abraham and Ishmael. Some say
Ka'aba was first built by Adam, and some say by
Abraham. It is the holiest place for Muslims. It is where all Muslims face in their daily prayers.
Ka'aba also makes a major part of the pilgrimage
in a ritual known as Tawaf.
Khalifa:
is the Muslim ruler. Head of the Islamic empire. Exact translation:
"Successor".
Khutbah -
A sermon given in a Mosque, usually on Friday.
Kufr -
Denial or Disbelief. A term Muslims use for
anyone who denies existence of Allah or the prophecy of Muhammed.
Koran
- Also spelled Qur'an. The holy book
of Islam revealed to Muhammad by Allah through the Archangel Gabriel. Koran
literally means "the recital." It is the final revelation of Allah given to
the prophet Muhammad. It consists of 114 surahs (or chapters.)
Madinah - (Medinah): A city in the
Arabian
peninsula
(in the country known now as Saudi Arabia). A city where the messenger had to
immigrate to.
Then it was called Yathrib.
Masjid -
A
center for Muslim activity. It is referred to as a mosque.
Masiah -
A
sin, or a sinful act
Mecca or Makkah:
is
the holiest city for Muslims. It contains the Ka'aba mosque with the famous
black cubical shape. Mecca is the birth place of the messenger (PPBU).
Mosque - A Muslim
house of worship.
Muhajir -
(Muhajireen)
Immigrant, one who leaves his home town due to lack of religious freedom. It
was first used to describe early Muslims immigrating from Mecca to Median
and Ethiopia.
Muhammad -
the final messenger and
prophet of God whose message abrogated all previous revelations. He
received the Koran through the angel Gabriel over a 23 year period. Born in
Mecca and died in Medina at the age of 63. His full name: Muhammad
ibn Abd-Allah
Muslim
- One who holds faith to the religion of
Islam.
Nafilah:
a voluntary prayer other
than the five obligatory prayers; performed at any time.
Nasara -
Christians. Nasrani:
A Christian individual. Nasraniah:
Christianity.
Ommah:
is the Arabic word for a
nation. It usually refers to
the Islamic nation unless otherwise specified.
Paradise -
Another word for heaven. A
garden of bliss, fruits, rivers and all forms of pleasures imaginable and
imaginable. No suffering, disease or death. Service is provided by angels.
All live in it an ever lasting youthful life. Promised by Almighty
Allah to all faithful, true Jews, true Christians and True Muslims. Paradise
is one of two places every person will go to, either Paradise or Hellfire.
PPBU
(P.B.U.H.) :
Peace and Prayers Be
Upon him. A statement Muslims use any time they mention the name of the
messenger or make a reference to him.
Qadar -
Fate. Preordainment is the teaching that all
things, good and bad, are preordained to occur.
Qadr - (night of Qadr):
The night when the first
revelation of the Koran took place. Most likely it happened during one of the
last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. Or when the Koran was brought down to
the nearest heaven in one go, and from there it was brought down in bits and
few verses at a time over a period of 23 years. This night is considered the
holiest night for Muslims with tremendous advantages.
Qibla -
The direction which Muslims turn for daily
prayers, towards Mecca.
Quraish -
An ancient Arab tribe to which the messenger
Muhammad belonged.
Ramadan -
The ninth month of the Islamic calendar which
is the month of the fast. The holiest month in the Muslim colander.
Salat -
Prayers. Generally it covers all forms of
worship, but more specifically refers to the Muslim rituals which is
performed to worship Allah five times daily.
Shiaa:
A sect of Islam that teaches that a religion
leader (Imam) should be the political ruler and must be direct descendants
of the messenger (PPBU). Therefore, disapproving of all Muslim leaders who
ruled After the messenger (PPBU) except Ali, the messenger's grandson.
Shirk -
Associating another god with Allah. Or associating anyone or anything with
Allah. Or using anyone or anything as a medium to Allah. The opposite of
Monotheism or Tawheed.
Siam or Soam-
Fasting
Sunni:
is a the title of those Muslims who are suppose to be following the life
style of the messenger. This differentiates them from the Shiaa of Iran.
Sunna (Sunnah):
Is how the Messenger PPBU lived, what he did or said. It includes the way he
dressed, ate, drank, prayed, interacted with other people and fought.
Basically, sunnah is the life style of the messenger PPBU. It is considered
the second source of legislation in Islamic laws and it is considered to be an
important reference to be used for concluding arguments and disputes.
It is also a title give to the main stream Muslims who make 90% if all
Muslims.
Surah -
A
chapter of the Koran.
Tawaf:
part of the pilgrimage (Hajj)
ritual. It involves walking round the Ka'aba Mosque in anti-clock wise
direction a number of seven circles.
Tauhid - Tawheed -
Monotheism, in Islam is the teaching that
there is only one God who alone is worthy of worship. The first requirement
of becoming a Muslim. It is included in the testimony of faith for new
Muslims when declaring that God is one: (No God but Allah)
Taqwah -
Proper fear and veneration of Allah. A divine spark that enables the person
to understand God.
Taurat: The old
Testaments and scriptures of Mosa.
Ummah -
the word means: a Nation. Usually refers to
the Islamic nation unless otherwise stated.
Umrah - (Amrah):
A mini hajj. A Minor form of pilgrimage to
Mecca. Unlike Hajj which can only be done on the 12th month of the Islamic
year, Umrah can be performed at any time.
Wathoo (wadoo): a washing up ritual
done by Muslims before each of the five daily prayers known as ablution.
Zaboor -
The
Psalms
Zakat -
The
third pillar of Islam. Alms giving, charity that is given to the poor.
