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[CHAPTER ON CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER AND LEADING THE PRAYER]
140—Congregational prayer is an individual obligation upon men for the five daily prayers, whether resident or traveling.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “I seriously considered ordering that the prayer be established1, then appointing a man to lead the people, and then setting out with men carrying bundles2 of firewood to those who do not attend the prayer3, and burning their houses down around them.” Agreed upon4.
141—The minimum congregation consists of an imam and one follower.
142—The larger the congregation, the more beloved it is to Allah5.
(1) In “B” and “T”: “that the prayer be established.”
(2) In “B” and “T”: “I set out with bundles of firewood to.”
(3) In “B” and “T”: “to people who fail to attend it.”
(4) Recorded by al-Bukhārī (2/125) and Muslim (no. 651).
(5) The shaykh preferred the view that a mosque with a larger congregation is better than an older mosque. *Al-Mukhtārāt al-Jaliyya*, p. 38.
بَابُ صَلاةِ الجَمَاعَةِ والإمَامَةِ
١٤٠- وَهِيَ فَرْضُ عَيْنٍ للصلوات الخمس على الرجال حضرًا وسفرًا.
كما قال النبي ﷺ: "لَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ آمُرَ بِالصَّلاةِ فَتُقَام١، ثُمَّ آمُرَ رَجُلًا يَؤُمُّ النَّاسَ، ثُمَّ أَنْطَلِقُ بِرِجَالٍ مَعَهُمْ حِزَمٌ٢ مِنْ حَطَبٍ إِلَى قَوْمٍ لَا يَشْهَدُونَ الصَّلاةَ٣، فَأُحَرِّق عَلَيهِمْ بُيُوتَهُمْ بِالنَّارِ" مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ٤.
١٤١- وَأَقَلُّهَا: إِمَامٌ وَمَأْمُومٌ.
١٤٢- وَكُلَّمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرَ فهو أحب إلى الله ٥.
١ في "ب، ط": أن تقام.
٢ في "ب، ط": "انطلق بحزم من حطب إلى".
٣ في " ب، ط": "إلى أناس يتخلفون عنها".
٤ رواه البخاري "١٢٥/٢"، ومسلم "٦٥١".
٥ صوَّب الشيخ، أن المسجد الأكثر أفضل من المسجد العتيق. "المختارات الجلية، ص: ٣٨".