These great gatherings were ordained in Islam exclusively for the welfare of the Muslims: to establish contact among them through kindness, compassion, and care; to foster affection and mutual love in their hearts; to enable each of them to learn the circumstances of the others—so they may visit the sick, attend funeral processions, and come to the aid of the distressed; to manifest the strength of the Muslim community, deepen their acquaintance with one another, and weld them into a single rank, thereby vexing their enemies from among the unbelievers and the hypocrites; and to dispel the enmity, dissension, and rancor that the devils of jinn and humankind weave between them, so that unity may prevail and hearts may come together upon righteousness and piety. For this reason the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Lā takhtalifū fatakhtalifa qulūbukum” (Do not differ, lest your hearts differ).

Among the benefits of praying in congregation are: instructing the uninformed, multiplying one’s reward, and invigorating one’s resolve for righteous deeds, for when a Muslim sees his brothers engaged in acts of obedience he is moved to emulate them.

In the hadith agreed upon by al-Bukhārī and Muslim, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Prayer in congregation surpasses prayer performed alone by twenty-seven degrees,” and in another wording, “by twenty-five.”