Mass (Congregational) prayers.

1421. It is Mustahab that obligatory prayers, especially the daily prayers, are performed in congregation, and more emphasis has been laid on congregational prayers for Fajr, Maghrib and Isha, and also for those who live in the neighborhood of a mosque, and are able to hear its Adhan.

1422. It has been reported in a tradition, that if one person follows the mass prayer leader, every Rak’at of that Namaz has more rewarded than 150 Namaz, and if two persons follow him, every Rak’at is better than 600 Namaz and so goes on up to 10 persons, and when the number of them is more than 10, then if all skies turn into papers and all seas turn into ink and all trees become pen and all people and Jinn and angels start writing, they will not be able to register the spiritual reward (thawab) of one Rak’at.

1423. It is not permissible to absent oneself from the congregational prayers unduly, and it is not proper to abandon congregational prayers without a justifiable excuse.

1424. It is Mustahab to defer prayers with an intention to participate in congregational prayers, because praying in mass is better than individual praying in prime tiem and mass prayers in short is better than individual proloned prayer.

1431. If Imam of congregation is offering his own Qadha for daily prayers, it is possible to follow him but if he is offering Qadha as a precaution or doing this for some other person, even if he is not paid, there is Ishkal (problem) in following him, except when the follower is also offering precautionary Namaz of the same kind, but if one knows that Qadha is offered for a dead person, there is no problem.

1432. If Imam is in Mehrab (Altar), and a person standing behind him is following him for Namaz, those who are standing at both sides of Mehrab and they cannot see the Imam because of wall, may not follow him. Even according to an obligatory precaution, this is not in order.

1433. If the persons standing at the end of the first row, cannot see the Imam because the line is very long, they can still follow him; similarly, if the following rows are very long, and persons standing at the far end cannot see the line before, they can follow the congregation.

1434. If the rows of the congregation extend to the gate of the mosque, the prayers of a person standing in front of the gate behind the line will be in order, and the prayers of those followers who stand behind him will also be valid. In fact, the prayers of those who are standing on either sides, and are linked with the congregaton by means of another follower, will also be in order

1435. If a person who is standing behind a pillar is not linked with the Imam by another follower from either side, he cannot follow the Imam, but if he is linked from left or right, he may follow him.

1436. The place where Imam stands should not be higher than the place of the follower, unless the height is negligible. And, if the ground has a slope, the Imam should stand at the higher end. But if the slope is so small that people ordinarily consider the ground as flat, there will be no objection.

1438. If a discerning child, one who is able to distinguish good from evil, stands between two persons in one line, thus causing a distance, their prayers in congregation will be valid as long as they do not have knowledge about that child’s Namaz having become void.

1439. If after the Takbir of the Imam, the persons in the front row are ready for prayers and are about to say Takbir, a person standing in the back row can say Takbir. However, the recommended perecaution is that he should wait, till the Takbir of the front row has been pronounced

1441. If a person knows that the prayers of the Imam is void - like, if he knows that the Imam is without Wudhu, though the Imam himself may not be mindful of the fact, he cannot follow that Imam.

1442. If the follower learns after the prayers, that the Imam was not a just person (Adil), or his Namaz was void for any other reason, like having no Wudhu, his own Namaz will be valid.

1443. If a person doubts during Namaz whether he has followed the Imam or not, if he is in a mood which is the duty of a follower. For example, if he finds himself listening silently to the Qir’at of Imam, he should complete the prayers with the congregation. But if he is in a situation that is both duty of Imam and followers, like Ruku or Sojud he should complete his prayers as one offered individually (i.e. Furada).

1444. A person may make a Niyyat for Furada (individual) prayer while in congregation.

1445. If the follower makes an intention of Furada after the Imam has recited Surah al-Hamd and the other Surah, it will not be necessary for him to recite Surah al-Hamd and the other Surah. But if he makes the intention of Furada before Imam has completed Surah al-Hamd and the other Surah, it will be necessary for him to recite the part recited by the Imam, as an obligatory precaution

1446. If one makes an intention of Furada while in congregation, as an obligatory precaution, he/she may not makes a new intention for congregational prayer; but if he/she is doubtful about his/her intention and then decides to pray with congregation, his/her Namaz is in order.

1447. If a person doubts whether he had made an intention of Furada during the congregational prayers, he should consider that he had not made the intention.

1448. If a person joins the Imam at the time of Ruku, and participates in Ruku of the Imam, his prayer is in order, even if the Zikr by the Imam may have come to an end. It will be treated as one Rak’at. However, if he goes to Ruku and misses Imam’s Ruku, his Namaz with congregation is void.

1449. If a person joins the Imam when he is in Ruku, and as he bows, he doubts whether or not he reached the Ruku of the Imam, his congregational prayer is void and as an obligatory precaution, he/she must complete Namaz and pray again.

1450. If a perosn joins the Imam when he is in Ruku, but before he bows to Ruku, the Imam raises his head from his Ruku, that person has a choice either to complete his prayers as Furada or wait until Imam stands up for the next Rak’at and consider that, his/her first Rak’at. But if standing of Imam takes much time so that it cannot be said that he is offering congregational Namaz, he/she must make Niyyat for Furada.

1451. If a person joins the Imam from the beginning of the prayers or during the time of Surah al-Hamd and the other Surah, and if it so happens that, before he goes into Ruku, Imam raises his head from Ruku, his prayers will be in order, and he must perform Ruku and keep up with Imam.

1452. If a person arrives for prayers when the Imam is reciting the last Tashahhud, and if he wishes to earn “Thawab” of congregational prayers, he should sit down after making Niyyat, and pronouncing Takbiratul Ehram, and may recite Tashahhud with the Imam, but not the Salam, and then wait till the Imam says Salam of the prayers. Then he should stand up, and without making Niyyat and Takbir, begin to recite Surah al-Hamd and the other Surah treating it as the first Rak’at of his prayers.

1453. The followers should not stand in front of the Imam, and, as an obligatory precaution, the followers should stand a little backward. If the size of follower in bigger than Imam, then if his Ruku or Sajdah reaches further, there is no objection.

1454. In congregational prayer, there should not be any obstruction like curtain, which blocks the view between Imam and follower, nor between one person and other follower who is a link between him/her and the Imam. But if the follower is a woman and the Imam is a man, presence of curtain and the limke is in order, and obstruction caused by curtain and the like between a woman and another follower who is a man and he is the link to Imam, is acceptable, but if Imam and follower both are women, their rule is similar to men, and no obstruction is allowed.

1455. If after the commencement of the prayers, a curtain or something similar intervenes between the follower and the Imam, or between one follower and the other, through whom the followe is linked to the Imam. It will be necessary for the follower to act according to Furada obligation,l and his prayer is in order.

1456. As an obligatory precaution, the distance between the palce where the follower performs Sajdah, and where the imam stnads, should not be more than a foot, and the same rule applies to a person who is linked with the Imam through another follower standing in front. And the recommended precaution is that the distance between the rows should be just enough to allow a perosn to do Sajdah.

1457. If a follower is linked to the Imam by means of a person, on his either side, and is not linked to the Imam in front, he should not be at a distance of more than one step

1458. If during the prayers, a distance of one step occurs between the follower and the Imam, or between the follower and the person through whom he is linked to the Imam, the follower can, therefore, continue as Furada, and his Namaz is in order.

1459. If the prayers of all the persons who are in the front row comes to an end, or all of them make Niyyat for Furada, if the distance is not more than one step, the Namaz of next row in congregation is in order and if it is more than that, it will turn into Furada and is correct.

1460. If a person joins the Imam in the second Rak’at, he may recite Qunut and Tashahhud with the Imam, and the precaution is that, at the time of reciting Tashahhud, he should keep the fingers of his hands and the inner part of his feet on the ground and raise his knees. And after the Tashahhud, he should stand up with the imam and should recite Surah al-Hamd and Surah. And if he does not have time for the other Surah, he should complete Surah al-Hamd, and join the Imam in Ruku, and if he cannot join the Imam in Ruku or Sajdah or he should complete his prayers as Furada, after Niyyat.

1461. If a person joins the Imam when he is in the second Rak’at of the Namaz having four Rak’ats, he should sit after the two Sajdah in the second Rak’at, which will be the third of the Imam, and recite Wajib parts of Tashahhud, and should then stand up. And if he does not have time to recite the Tasbihat Arba’ah thrice, he should recite it once, and then join the Imam in Ruku, or Sajdah

1462. If Imam is in the third or fourth Rak’at, and one knows that if he joins him and recite Surah al-Hamd he will not be able to reach him in Ruku, as an obligatory precaution, he should wait till Imam goes to Ruku and then join.

1463. If a perosn joins the Imam when he is in the third or fourth Rak’at, he should recite Surah al-Hamd and the other Surah, and if he does not have time for the other Surah,l he should complete Surah al-Hamd and join the Imam in Ruku. But if he reaches Imam while he is in Sajdah, as a precaution, it is better for him to pray again.

1464. If a person who knows that if he completes Surah or Qunut, he will not be able to join the Imam in his Ruku, he should not recite Surah or Qunut; but if he did, his Namaz is in order.

1465. If a perosn is satisfied that if he commecnes a Surah or completes it, he will be able to join the Imam in his Ruku, it is better for him to commence the Surah or to complete it, if he has already started.

1466. If a person is sure that if he recites the other Surah, he will be able to join the Imam in Ruku, and then if he recites the Surah and misses the Imam in Ruku, his congregational prayers are in order

1467. If Imam is standing, and the follower does not know in which Rak’at he is, he can join him, but he should recite Surah al-Hamd and th eother Surah with the Niyyat of Qurbat though he may come to know later that the Imam was in the first or second Rak’at.

1468. If a perosn does not recite Surah al-Hamd and Surah, under the impression that the Imam is in the first or second Rak’at, and realizes after Ruku that he was in the third or fourth, his prayers are in order. However, if he realizes this before Ruku, he should recite Surah al-Hamd and the other Surah, and if he does not have sufficient time for this, he should recite only Hamd and join Imam in Ruku or Sajdah.

1469. If a person recites Surah al-Hamd and Surah under the impression that the Imam is in the third or fourth Rak’at, and realizes before or after Ruku that he was in the first or second, his (i.e. the followers’) prayers are in order, and if he realizes this while reciting Surah al-Hamd and the other Surah, it will not be necessary fo rhim to complete them.

1470. If a congregational prayer begins while a person is offering a Mustahab prayers, and if he is not sure that if he completes his Mustahab prayers, he will be able to join the congregational prayers, it is Mustahab to abandon the Mustahab prayers, and join the congregational prayers, in fact, if he is not certain that he will be able to join the first Rak’at, he should follow this rule

1471. If a congregational prayer begins while a person is offering a prayer of three or four Rak’ats, and if he has not gone into Ruku of the third Rak’at, and is not sure whether upon completion, he will be able to join the congregational prayers, it is Mustahab to end the prayers with the Niyyat of Mustahab prayers of two Rak’ats, and join the congregational prayers.

1472. If the prayers of the Imam comes to an end, but the follower is still reciting Tashahhud or the first Salam, it is not necessary for him to make the intention of Furada.

1473. If a person is behind the Imam by one Rak’at, it is better than when the Imam is reciting Tashahhud of the last Rak’at, he (the follower) should make a Niyyat of Furada and place the fingers of his hands and the inner part of his feet on the ground, and raise his knees, and wait till the Imam says Salam of the prayers and then stand up.