Chapter: Congregational Prayer

He—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked:

“Is congregational prayer an individual obligation, a collective obligation, or a sunnah? If it is an individual obligation and someone prays alone without an excuse, is his prayer valid or not? What are the scholars’ views on this matter, what evidence does each cite, and which view is strongest?”

He answered:

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds.

The scholars agree that congregational prayer is among the most emphatically prescribed acts of worship, the noblest acts of obedience, and the greatest outward observances of Islam. They also agree upon its merit as authentically reported from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said:

“A man’s prayer in congregation exceeds his prayer alone by twenty-five degrees.”

This is how it is narrated in the hadiths of Abū Hurayrah and Abū Saʿīd: twenty-five degrees. The hadith of Ibn ʿUmar mentions twenty-seven. All three are recorded in the Sahīh. The two figures have been reconciled by explaining that the hadith mentioning twenty-five refers to the additional merit