5—Teaching the ignorant. Many people learn what is prescribed in the prayer through congregational prayer: they follow the person beside them, follow the imam, and so forth.

6—Accustoming the Muslim community to unity and avoiding division, for this gathering represents the unity of the community as a whole. The community at large is united in obeying its leader and the one directing its affairs, so that they do not differ and become fragmented. Thus, congregational prayer is a lesser form of leadership, because they follow a single imam and follow him precisely. It therefore embodies Islam’s general outlook.

7—Self-discipline. When a person becomes accustomed to following an imam with precision—pronouncing the takbir when he pronounces it, neither going ahead of him nor lagging far behind, nor doing an action simultaneously with him, but rather following him—he becomes accustomed to self-discipline.

8—Making people mindful, through standing in rows, of standing in ranks for jihad, as Allah Almighty says:

“Indeed, Allah loves those who fight in His cause in ranks.” [Surah al-Saff: 4]

Those who stand in ranks for jihad will undoubtedly, when they have become accustomed to this in the five daily prayers, find it a means of following their commander in the ranks of jihad, without preceding or falling behind his commands.

9—The worshippers’ remembrance of the ranks of the angels before Allah Almighty, whereby they increase in their veneration of Allah and their love for the angels of Allah.

10—The Muslims’ sense of equality in the worship of Allah Most High. In this mosque, the wealthiest person stands beside the poorest person, the ruler beside the ruled, and the governor beside the governed,