Prayer in Congregation

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from hisfather that a woman asked him for a decision, saying, "Waist-wrappersare painful to me. Can I pray in a shift and head-covering?" Hereplied, "Yes, if the shift is long."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umarthat the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,said, "Prayer in congregation is better than the prayer of a man byhimself by twenty-seven degrees."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Said ibn al-Musayyab from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah blesshim and grant him peace, said, "Prayer in congregation is better thanthe prayer of one of you on his own by twenty-five parts."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'zZinad from al-Araj fromAbu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, said, "By Him in whose hand myself is! I had in mind toorder firewood to be collected, then to order the prayer to be called,and to appoint a man to lead the people in prayer, and then to come upbehind certain men and burn their houses down about them! By Him inwhose hand myself is! If one of them knew that he would find a meatybone or two good legs of meat, he would be present at isha.''

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'n-Nadr, the mawla of Umaribn Ubaydullah from Yusr ibn Said that Zayd ibn Thabit said, "The mostexcellent prayer is your prayer in your house, except for theprescribed prayers."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abd ar-Rahman ibn Harmala al-Aslami from Said ibn al-Musayyab that the Messenger of Allah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, said, "What separates us from thehypocrites is being present at isha and subh. They cannot do it," orwords to that effect.

He also said, "If people knew what there was in the call to prayerand the first row, and they could find no other way except to drawlots for it, they would draw lots for it. And if they knew what therewas in doing dhuhr at its time, they would race each other to it. Andif they knew what there was in the prayers of isha and maghrib, theywould come to them even if they had to crawl .

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Abu Bakr ibnSulayman ibn Abi Hathma that Umar ibn al-Khattab missed Sulayman ibnAbi Hathma in the subh prayer. In the morning he went to the market,and Sulayman's house was between the market and the Prophet's mosque.He passed ash-Shifa, Sulayman's mother, and said to her, "I did notsee Sulayman at subh." She replied, "He spent the night in prayer andhis eyes overcame him. Umar said, "I would rather be present at subhthan stand the whole night in prayer.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Muhammadibn Ibrahim that Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Amra al-Ansari said that Uthmanibn Affan came to the isha prayer and seeing only a few people in themosque, he lay down at the back of the mosque to wait for the numberof people to increase. Ibn Abi Amra went and sat down beside him andUthman asked him who he was, so he told him. Uthman said, "What haveyou memorised of the Qur'an?", and he told him. Uthman said, "Ifsomeone is present at isha, it is as if he had stood in prayer forhalf a night, and if some one is present at subh, it is as if he hadstood in prayer for a whole night.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from a man ofthe Bani'd-Dil called Busr ibn Mihjan from his father Mihjan that hewas in a gathering with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless himand grant him peace, and the call to prayer was made. The Messenger ofAllah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, rose and prayed andthen returned. Mihjan remained sitting and did not pray with him. TheMessenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,"What prevented you from praying with the people? Aren't you amuslim?" He said, "Of course, Messenger of Allah, but I have alreadyprayed with my family." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless himand grant him peace, said, "When you come, pray with the people, evenif you have prayed already."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that a man askedAbdullah ibn Umar, "Sometimes I pray in my house, and then catch theprayer with the imam. Should I pray with him?" Abdullah ibn Umar saidto him, "Yes," and the man said, "Which of them do I make my prayer?"Abdullah ibn Umar said, "Is that up to you? It is up to Allah. He willdecide on whichever of them He wishes."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that a manasked Said ibn al-Musayyab, "I pray in my house, and then I come tothe mosque and find the imam praying. Should I pray with him?" Saidsaid, "Yes," and the man said, "Which of them is my prayer?" Saidsaid, "Are you the one to decide that? That is up to Allah."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Afif as-Sahmi that a man fromthe tribe of Bani Asad asked Abu Ayyub al-Ansari. "Sometimes I pray inmy house, and then come to the mosque and find the imam praying.Should I pray with him?" Abu Ayyub said, "Yes, pray with him, for someone who does so has the reward of the group, or the equivalent of thereward of the group."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umarused to say, "Someone who prays maghrib or subh and then catches themwith the imam should not repeat them."

Malik said, "I do notsee any harm in someone who has already prayed in his house prayingwith the imam, except for maghrib, because if he repeats it, he makesit even."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z Zinad from al-Araj fromAbu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, said, "When you lead people in the prayer, make it short,because there are among them some people who are weak, ill and old.But when you pray on your own, make it as long as you wish."

Yahya related to me from Malik that Nafi said, "I stood behindAbdullah ibn Umar in one of the prayers when there was no one elsewith him, and he reached behind with his hand and placed me besidehim."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that a manused to lead the people in prayer in al-Aqiq (a place near Madina),and Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz sent a message to him forbidding him to doso.

Malik said, "He only forbade him because his father wasnot known."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Anas ibnMalik that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, fell off his horse when riding, and his right side was scraped,so he did one of the prayers sitting, and we prayed behind himsitting. When he left, he said, "The imam is appointed to be followed.If he prays standing, then pray standing, and when he goes into ruku,go into ruku, and when he rises, rise, and when he says, 'Allah hearswhoever praises him,' say, 'Our Lord, praise belongs to You,' and ifhe prays sitting, then all of you pray sitting."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from hisfather that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless himand grant him peace, prayed while he was ill. He prayed sitting, andsome people prayed behind him standing, and he indicated to them tosit down. When he left, he said, 'The imam is only appointed to befollowed. When he goes into ruku, go into ruku and when he rises, riseand if he prays sitting, pray sitting .' "