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Salat al-jama‘ah (Congregational Prayer) or prayer in

congregation A congregation is a large gathering of people, often for the purpose of worship. Congregation may also refer to: *Church (congregation), a Christian organization meeting in a particular place for worship *Congregation (Roman Curia), an administra ...

('' jama'ah'') is considered to have more

social Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not. Etymology The word "social" derives from ...

and spiritual benefit than praying by oneself. When praying in congregation, the

people A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...

stand in straight parallel rows behind the chosen

imam Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, ser ...

, facing

qibla The qibla ( ar, قِبْلَة, links=no, lit=direction, translit=qiblah) is the direction towards the Kaaba in the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, which is used by Muslims in various religious contexts, particularly the direction of prayer for the s ...

. The imam, who leads the congregation in

salat (, plural , romanized: or Old Arabic ͡sˤaˈloːh, ( or Old Arabic ͡sˤaˈloːtʰin construct state) ), also known as ( fa, نماز) and also spelled , are prayers performed by Muslims. Facing the , the direction of the Kaaba wit ...

, is usually chosen to be a scholar or the one who has the best

knowledge Knowledge can be defined as awareness of facts or as practical skills, and may also refer to familiarity with objects or situations. Knowledge of facts, also called propositional knowledge, is often defined as true belief that is distinc ...

of the

Qur'an The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing. ...

, preferably someone who has memorised it in its entirety (a ''hafiz'') . In the first row behind the

Imam Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, ser ...

, if available, would be another ''hafiz'' to correct the Imam in case a mistake is made during the performance of the

. The prayer is performed as normal, with the congregation following the actions and movements of the

as he performs the salat.

Requirements for the imam

The congregational

prayer Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified a ...

is led by an

. The imam should be male, just, and well aware of Islamic jurisprudence. The Imaam stands in front by himself while the followers stand behind him in straight lines, all facing the Qiblah (the direction of Ka’bah). The most worthy of leading people in prayer is the one who is the best in memorizing and reciting the Quran. If they are equal, then the one who has the deepest knowledge of

Sunnah In Islam, , also spelled ( ar, سنة), are the traditions and practices of the Islamic prophet Muhammad that constitute a model for Muslims to follow. The sunnah is what all the Muslims of Muhammad's time evidently saw and followed and passed ...

. If they still are equal in the knowledge of Sunnah, then the oldest of the group. The Messenger of Allah said: “The most versed in recitation of the Book of Allah leads the people in the prayer. If they are equal, then the one most aware of the Sunnah. If they all are equal, the one who emigrated earlier. If they all are equal, then the oldest of them.” uslim

Conditions of the imam

Imam of the Congregational Prayer should have special conditions: * Intellect. * just. * mature (Baligh/Adult). * being a

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

Conditions

* There are not any obstacles between Imam jamaat and prayers or prayers and other prayers. * The minimum number of people required for the Congregational Prayer to be valid is two. * In the Congregational Prayer, Imam will read Surah

Al-Fatiha Al-Fatiha (alternatively transliterated Al-Fātiḥa or Al-Fātiḥah; ar, ألْفَاتِحَة, ; ), is the first ''surah'' (chapter) of the Quran. It consists of 7 '' ayah'' (verses) which are a prayer for guidance and mercy. Al-Fatiha i ...

and then any surah of the Quran aloud except for

zuhr The Zuhr prayer ( ar, صَلَاة ٱلظُّهْر ', "noon prayer") is one of the five mandatory Mandate most often refers to: * League of Nations mandates, quasi-colonial territories established under Article 22 of the Covenant of the League ...

and

Asr The Asr prayer ( ar, صلاة العصر ', "afternoon prayer") is one of the five mandatory salah (Islamic prayer). As an Islamic day starts at sunset, the Asr prayer is technically the fifth prayer of the day. If counted from midnight, it is ...

prayer. People praying behind the Imam should keep silent during the Fatihah. They should, however, individually read all the other things in salah apart from fatihah.

Narrations

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...

himself never omitted even a single congregational

. Even in his sickness, it was strenuous for him to walk; nonetheless, with the aid of two of his companions he came (while his auspicious feet were dragging on the ground) to the mosque and prayed with the congregation. Congregation prayer in a mosque, or masjid, is particularly encouraged for men and is optional for women. Muslim men are encouraged to offer as many of the five daily prayers in the mosque as possible, as the reward for doing so is at least 27 times greater than offering the prayer alone at home.

Some benefits of congregational prayer

Congregational prayer has worldly and otherworldly benefits: * Islamic equality * Unity * love and Collaboration * Discipline * validity of Islam * endless Reward

References

External links

Prayer Tutorial, Prayer Times and Qibla directions

E-Book: Salaah - A Detailed Guide to Prayer

iPhone app "alQibla" for worldwide prayer timings and qibla direction from anywhere on earth

Determining time of Salat anywhere

Salat presentation in video, including how to perform salat in detail

Worldwide prayer time calculation

Java library to calculate prayer time
{{Islam topics, state=collapsed Salah terminology