Praying in congregation
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) encouraged performing the congregational prayer, he ordered the people to pray the five prayers in congregation in a way that anyone who wants to pray in congregation can easily find a place to do so. When people gather in obedience to Allah great benefits do occur. Ibn ___ related that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said what means "the congregational prayer has 27 times more reward than the prayer done individually" Praying every obligatory prayer in congregation is a communal obligation upon the residing, pubescent, an unexcused man. In the congregational prayer someone steps forward to lead the others in prayer, he is called the Imam, the leader. It's better if the Imam is the most knowledgable among them and he is the one who recites Qur'an the best. The rest of the people stand behind the Imam in straight rows leaving no spaces between each other. Then the Imam says the opening Takbeer. Then the other people follow by saying their opening Takbeer, coupled with their intention. The intention means that while saying "Allahu Akbar" with their tongue, every one of them says in their heart "I now intend to pray the obligatory Asr prayer in congregation". The Imam says all the sayings of "Allahu Akbar", "Sami Allah Hulymun Hamidah" and "As-Salmu Alaykum" out loud in all the prayers. If it is a loud prayer the Imam also says the Fatiha, Aameen, and the Surah after it, out loud in the first two Ra'kahs. The follower on the other hand says "Aameen" out loud, but he does not recite the Surah after the Fatiha in the loud prayer, rather he does this only in the soft prayer. Everyone who follows an Imam during prayer must fulfill several obligations. First, the follower must not be in front of the Imam in the standing position, or in saying the opening Takbeer. The prayer of the follower is invalid if he says his opening Takbeer during that of the Imam's. However, doing other actions at the same time of the Imam in other parts of the prayer is disliked, with the exception of saying "Aameen". Saying "Aameen" with the Imam is recommended. Second, the follower must not preceed the Imam by one integral of action, it is unlawful. Furthermore, one's prayer is invalidated by inexcusably preceeding the Imam by two consecutive integrals of action, similarly the follower invalidates his prayer if he lags behind the Imam by two integrals of action without an excuse, despite an excuse lagging for more than three long integrals of action invalidates the follower's prayer. The follower must also know the movements of his Imam and be with his Imam in a Mosque or else within 300 cubits. He must not have any barrier between him and his imam which prevents him from reaching the Imam. Also the format of his prayer must agree with that of the Imam's prayer, for example. It is invalid for the performer of the five daily prayer to follow the performer of the funeral prayer. The follower must not disagree with his Imam in a recommended act, like sitting for the first Tashahuud. If the Imam does it than the follower does it, if he leaves it than the follower leaves it. In the Friday prayer the follower must have the intention to follow the Imam while saying the opening Takbeer, and in other prayers before following the Imam. If the follower was doing the Friday prayer without having the intention to follow the Imam within the opening Takbeer his prayer would be invalid. However in other than the Friday prayer the follower must have the intention present in the heart before following the Imam in his moves. Following the Imam in his moves without having the intention to follow the Imam invalidates the follower's prayer. However if someone was not praying in congregation and his moves happen to agree with the Imam's moves accidentally and unintentionally does not invalidate the prayer of the follower.
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