JAMAAT - CONGREGATIONAL PRAYERS

Condition of Jamaat In Namaz

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Method Of JAMAAT

Rule Of Namaz

JAMAAT - CONGREGATIONAL PRAYERS 

There has been a lot of emphasis given to Jamaat and it carries a lot of reward, upto the extent that a Namaz prayed with Jamaat gains reward twenty seven times more than a Namaz prayed on it's own.

• Rule: Jamaat is Wajib for males and to miss it even once without cause is a sin and should be punished and for those who make a habit of missing Jamaat is a wrongdoer (Fasiq) and his statement for witnessing cannot be accepted and should be severely punished. If his neighbours ignored the fact that he was missing Jamaat then they are also sinners.

What Namaz have the condition of Jamaat

• Rule: For Friday prayers (Ju'ma) and Eid prayers, Jamaat is a condition and without Jamaat the Namaz cannot be prayed.
• Rule: The Tarawih Namaz is Sunnat-e-Kifayya, meaning if some people within an area performed it then the rest will not be responsible and if no-one prayed it in an area then all will have done a bad thing and would be responsible.
• Rule: Jamaat in the Witr prayer during the month of Ramadan is Mustah'hab.
• Rule: Jamaat in Sunnat and Nafl Namaz is Makrooh and except for the month of Ramadan it is also Makrooh for Witr Namaz.
• Rule: If  you are aware that if by washing the body parts three times in Wuzu, you will miss a Rakaat then it is better to only wash them once and obtain the Rakaat. If you are aware tnat by washing me vvuzu pans three times you will not miss a Rakaat but will miss the first Takbeer, then it is better to wash the parts three times [Sagiri, Bahar-e-Shariat].

Jamaat Thania (Duplicate Jamaat)

• Rule: If in an area there is a fixed Imam in a Mosque and after calling the Azaan and Iqamat and praying the Sunnats, the Imam has then lead the Jamaat prayers, then to pray that Namaz again standing a different Jamaat is Makrooh after calling the Azaan and Iqamat again. If however, the second Jamaat is prayed without calling another Azaan then there is no problem as long as it is prayed slightly away from the Mehrab. If the first Jamaat was prayed without an Azaan or with a quiet Azaan or by other non regular people then the Jamaat is to be called again and this second Jamaat is not Jamaat Thania. [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Radd-ul-Mohtar].

What Reasons allow the Jamaat to be missed

• Rule: The following reasons can be used to miss Jamaat;

• Such an illness that it would be very difficult to go to the Mosque
• The weather is very cold or very cloudy, or very windy
• You have a bad urge of excretion, urination or releasing wind
• You are scared of an aggressor
• You are scared that you will miss your group
• You are blind or disabled
• You are so old that it is very difficult to go to the Mosque
• You are afraid that your possession or food will be destroyed
• A person who is poor and owes money and is scared of bumping into the lender
• You are looking after an ill person and if you leave them they will have difficulty or be afraid.

All the above are causes that allow you to miss Jamaat.

• Rule: Women are not allowed to attend any Jamaat, not day Namaz or night Namaz, or Ju'ma and Eid, whether she is young or old. The same rule applies for women attending lectures, i.e. they are not allowed to attend [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Bahar-e-Shariat].

Where does a single Muqtadee stand ?

• Rule: A single male Muqtadee, even if he is a child should stand on the right side and parallel with the Imam. It is Makrooh for a single Muqtadee to stand on the Imam's left side or behind the Imam. If there are two Muqtadees then they should stand behind the Imam, to parallel with the Imam is Makrooh-e-Tanzihi. If there are more than two Muqtadees then it is Makrooh-e-Tahrimi to stand parallel with the Imam [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Bahar].
• Rule: One person was stood in line with the Imam and then another person joined then the Imam should go forward and the person that has joined the Jamaat should stand next to the present Muqtadee. If the Imam cannot move forward then the Muqtadee should move backwards or the person arriving should pull the Muqtadee back. However, if there is only one Muqtadee then it is better if he comes back and if there are two then it is better for the Imam to move forward.

Rules of rows (Saff)

• Rule: The rows should be straight and the people should be joined alongside each other. There should not be a gap between the people in the rows and the shoulders should be level and the Imam should be in the front in the middle.
• Rule: It is better to stand in the first row and close to the Imam. However, in the Jananza Namaz it is better to stand in the back row [Durr-e-Mukhtar].
• Rule: The Muqtadee should say the Takbeer-e-Tahrima with or after the Imam. If the Muqtadee said the word 'Allah' with the Imam and 'Akbar' before the Imam then the Namaz will not count.
• Rule: The Muqtadee cannot pray the Quran in any Namaz, not when the Imam prays loudly or quietly because whatever the Imam prays is sufficient for the Muqtadee [Hidaya etc.].
• Rule: The method of the rows should be that the men are in the front rows then children then finally women [Hidaya].

Who should be an Imam

• Rule: The Imam should be a Muslim, male, sane, adult, one who knows the rules of Namaz and a non Ma'zoor (has no illness). If any of the above six aspects are not found in an Imam then the Namaz will not count behind him.
• Rule: A Ma'zoor can be an Imam for a Muqtadee with the same illness or worse than him. If however, both the Imam and Muqtadee have two different types of illnesses e.g. one suffers from releasing wind and the other suffers from droplets of urine then they cannot be an Imam for each other [Alamgiri, Radd-ul-Mohtar]. Rule: A person with a Tayammum can be an Imam for a person with Wuzu [Hidaya etc.].
• Rule: A person who performs Masah over leather socks can be an Imam for a person washing his feet [Hidaya etc.].
• Rule: A person who prays Namaz standing can be a Muqtadee of a person who prays Namaz seated [Hidaya].
• Rule: The person who performs Rukooh and Sijdah cannot pray behind a person who prays by action only. However, if both the Imam and Muqtadee both pray with actions then they can follow each other [Hidaya].
• Rule: A naked person cannot be an Imam of a person who has covered his body [Hidaya].

Order of praying Namaz behind a person with wrong beliefs

• Rule: To make a 'Bud Mazhab' (person with corrupt beliefs) whose beliefs have not gone outside the folds of Islam is a sin and to pray a Namaz behind him would make the Namaz Makrooh-e-Tahrimi and would have to be repeated as this would be Wajib[Durr-e-Mukhtar, Radd-ul-Mohtar, Alamgiri].
• Rule: To make an open wrongdoer (Fasiq Mu'allin) such as a person who drinks alcohol, gambles, adulterer, one who obtains interest money, one who tells tales etc. those who commit big sins, an Imam, is a sin and Namaz behind them would be Makrooh-e-Tahrimi and to repeat it is Wajib [Radd-ul-Mohtar, Durr-e-Mukhtar etc.]
• Rule: Namaz behind those Bad Mazhabs whose beliefs have gone out of the folds of Islam such as Rafzi (Shiites, even if they only reject the fact of Hazrat Abubakr being a Caliph or a Sahhabi or insults the Shaikhain Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhuma), those who believe that the Holy Quran is man made, those who reject intercession or seeing Allah on the day of Hashr, or the punishment of the grave or the existence of Kiraman Katibeen cannot be performed [Alamgiri, Guniya]. There is an even more stricter rule for those who call themselves Muslims and in fact follow the Sunnats but still reject some important beliefs of religion (Zarooriyat-e-Deen) and insult Allah and His Prophet or at least believe those who insult, as Muslims, Namaz behind these is also strictly not allowed.

Order of following a Fasiq

• Rule: Following a Fasiq is not allowed except for in Ju'ma as there is no alternative for this, for all the other Namaz if there are other Mosques in the vicinity then you should go. If there are other nearby Mosques that perform the Ju'ma prayers then you should go there [Guniya, Radd-ul-Mohtar, Fatahul Qadir].
• Rule: For the Imam to stand alone on a higher platform is Makrooh, if the height is small then it is Makrooh Tanzihi and if the height is big the it is Makrooh Tahrimi [Durr-e-Mukhtar etc.].
• Rule: If the Imam is in a lower place and the Muqtadees in a higher place it is also Makrooh and is against the Sunnat [Durr-e-Mukhtar etc.].
• Rule: A Masbook when finishing his missed Rakaats is a Munfarid.

Definition of a Masbook

• Rule: A Masbook is a person who joins in the Jamaat after the Imam has already prayed some Rakaats and he remains with the Jamaat until the end of the Namaz. A Munfarid is a person who prays the Namaz on his own and not with Jamaat.
• Rule: If a Masbook found the Imam in the Qaidah then he should say Allah-o-Akbar whilst standing and fold his arms like normal in Qayam, then whilst saying Allah-o-Akbar he should sit down and join the Jamaat. If he found them in Rukooh or Sijdah then he should do the same by performing Takbeer-e-Tahrima and then join the Jamaat, if he however, when saying the first Allah-o-Akbar bent too far as if already nearly in Rukooh then the Namaz will not count.
• Rule: If the Masbook joined the Jamaat for a four Rakaat Namaz in the fourth Rakaat then after the Imam has performed the Salaam he should stand up. He should then pray one Rakaat with Alhamdo and Surat and then sit down and perform Qaidah. He should then stand back up and pray Alhamdo and Surat in this Rakaat and then perform another Rakaat and pray only Alhamdo and then go into the last Qaidah and finish the Namaz as normal. Meaning except for the Qaidah with the Imam he should perform two more Qaidahs. The first Qaidah after one Rakaat and the other Qaidah after two more Rakaats.
• Rule: If the Masbook joins the Maghrib Namaz in the third Rakaat then after the Imam has performed Salaam he should stand up and pray Alhamdo and a Surat and then perform Rukooh and Sijdah and then perform a Qaidah. He should then stand back up and pray another Rakaat with Alhamdo and Surat and then perform Rukooh and Sijdah and the perform the last Qaidah and finish the Namaz as normal. Meaning in both the Rakaats you have to perform a Qaidah and you have to pray Alhamdo and a Surat so in this situation there has been two additional Qaidahs after the Imam has performed Salaam.
• Rule: If you have joined the Jamaat in the third Rakaat of a four Rakaat Namaz then after the Imam has performed Salaam pray two Rakaats and in both Rakaats you must pray Alhamdo and a Surat and then perform the last Qaidah and finish the Namaz as usual.
• Rule: If you have missed the first Rakaat then after the Imam has performed Salaam pray one Rakaat with Alhamdo and a Surat.
• Rule: If the Masbook performed Salaam with the Imam by mistake then the Namaz has not gone but he should stand up and finish his Namaz. If he performed the Salaam with the Imam exactly at the same time then no Sijdah-e-Sahoo is necessary and if the Salaam was performed after the Imaam then Sijdah-e-Sahoo is Wajib. If the Masbook performed the Salaam with the Imam deliberately thinking that he should perform the Salaam with the Imam then his Namaz has become void and he will have to pray it again [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Radd-ul-Mohtar].

When you should break a Farz Namaz and join the Jamaat

• Rule: Someone started a four Rakaat Farz Namaz alone and he had not yet performed the Sijdah of the first Rakaat and a group next to him started the Namaz with Jamaat, then he should break his Namaz and join the Namaz. Also for Fajr and Maghrib even if he has performed the Sijdah for the first Rakaat, he should still break the Namaz and join the Jamaat.
• Rule: If in the four Rakaat Namaz he has performed a Sijdah for the first Rakaat then he should not break the Namaz but pray two Rakaats and then finish the Namaz after the second Rakaat, and then he should join the Jamaat.
• Rule: If he has prayed three Rakaats then he cannot break the Namaz but he should finish his Namaz alone and then he can join the Jamaat with the intention of praying a Nafl Namaz. He however, cannot join the Jamaat with the intention of Nafl after Asr Namaz because you cannot pray a Nafl after Asr Namaz.
• Rule: In a four Rakaat Namaz you had not performed the Sijdah for the third Rakaat then you should break the Namaz and join the Jamaat.
• Rule: If you want to break the Namaz then there is no need to sit down but whilst standing up make the intention to break it and perform Salaam to one side.
• Rule: If you started a Nafl, Sunnat or a Qaza Namaz and a Jamaat started then do not break the Namaz but join the Jamaat after finishing your Namaz. If you started a Nafl Namaz with the intention of four Rakaats and had only prayed one or two then finish two Rakaats and join the Jamaat. If you are in the third Rakaat then finish the Namaz and then join the Jamaat.
• Rule: To join the Jamaat you can only break the Namaz when the Jamaat is being started where you are praying. If you are praying in the home and the Jamaat has started at the Mosque or you are praying in one Mosque and a Jamaat has started in another Mosque then you cannot break the Namaz to join that Jamaat, even if you have not performed the Sijdah of the first Rakaat you still cannot break the Namaz [Radd-ul-Mohtar].
• Rule: It is obligatory for the Muqtadee to follow the Imam for the obligatory actions of the Namaz, meaning, if the Muqtadee performed an obligatory action before the Imam and did not do at the same time or after the Imam then the Namaz will become void. For example the Muqtadee went into the Sijdah before the Imam and the Imam had not yet gone into Sijdah and the Muqtadee lifted his head from Sijdah then his Namaz will become void unless he repeats that Sijdah after the Imam then his Namaz will not become void [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Radd-ul-Mohtar].
• Rule: If the Muqtadee performed the Sijdah before the Imam but the Imam went into the Sijdah before the Muqtadee lifted his head, then the Sijdah will count but to do this is Haram [Alamgih].
• Rule: It is Makrooh-e-Tanzihi for a Muqtadee to stand at the back on his own if there is space in the rows in front. If there is no space available then there is no problem, however, if he can, he should pull someone from in front backwards so that he can stand adjacent to each other. He must remember that the person he is pulling back is aware of this rule otherwise he might break his Namaz [Alamgiri] and if necessary then he should make an indication and if the other person does not come back to the last row then it won't be Makrooh to pray alone in the last row [Fatahul Qadir, Bahar-e-Shariat].

Method of starting a Jamaat
The Jamaat should be set up as follows; when the Mustahhab time for Namaz arrives then the Azaan should be called. The people should then attend the Mosque or where the Namaz is going to take place with Wuzu and if they have not prayed the Sunnats at home then they should pray them and then sit down ready in rows and the Imam should sit in his place. The Mu'azzin should then call the Iqamat and when he reaches 'Hayya Alal Falaah' all the people and the Imam should stand up and just before 'Qad Qamatis Salaat' the Imam should make the intention and say Allaho-Akbar and start the Namaz, the Muqtadee should follow the Imam and say Allaho-Akbar and pray Thana and then the Muqtadees should remain quiet and the Imam should continue and when the Imam goes into Rukooh and Sijdah the Muqtadees should follow and complete the Namaz with the Imam. Except for Alhamdo and a Surat everything that is prayed in Namaz should be prayed by the Muqtadees. If someone comes after some Rakaats have already been prayed then he should make the intention and join the Jamaat. At the end when the Imam performs Salaam he should not perform Salaam but stand up and finish the Rakaats off that he missed and then perform Salaam and finish the Namaz. After the Salaam the Imam should turn to his right or left side and face the Muqtadees and raise his hands in front of his chest and perform Dua and the Muqtadees should also perform Dua. After the Dua they should move from their place and pray the Sunnats etc.

• Rule: The Imam should say the Takbeer-e-Tahrima before 'Qad Qamatis Salaat' and the Muqtadees should say it after the Imam [Alamgiri].

Actions that break the Namaz

• Rule: Speaking nullifies the Namaz, meaning to speak in Namaz would break the Namaz whether it was done purposely or by mistake one half of a word or more.
• Rule: Speech that breaks the Namaz is when the voice is loud enough so that you can hear it yourself even if it makes no sense.
• Rule: If you greet someone even by mistake the Namaz will break whether you have only got to say 'Assalam' and have not had the chance to say 'Alaikum'.
• Rule: If you reply to someone by voice then the Namaz will break and if you make an indication by hand or head then this is Makrooh [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Alamgiri].
• Rule: If you sneeze in Namaz then do not say 'Alhamdolillah', if however, you do the Namaz will not break [Alamgiri].
• Rule: If you say 'Alhamdolillah' in reply to hearing good news or when hearing bad news 'Inna Lillahe Wa inna ilaihi Ra'ji'oon' or when you are shocked 'Subhanallah' or 'Allaho Akbar' then the Namaz will break, if the words are not said in reply to the news then the Namaz will not break.
• Rule: When clearing the throat and two words are said such as 'Akh too' and there is not a real necessity then the Namaz will break. If there is a real need such as for a health reason or you needed to clear your throat because when praying the Quran you had difficulty, or you needed to inform the Imam of a mistake, or you needed to make someone aware that you were praying the Namaz then the Namaz will not break.
• Rule: If the Muqtadee corrected someone except for his Imam by saying a verse of the Quran then the Namaz will break.
• Rule: If the Imam took a correction off anyone except for his Muqtadees then the Namaz will break.
• Rule: If someone due to pain or difficulty said 'aah' 'ooh' 'oof 'tuf or cried out loudly and a sound was heard then the Namaz will break. If someone cried and no sound was heard only tears dropped then the Namaz will not break [Alamgiri, Radd-ul-Mohtar]. If from an ill person the words 'aah' 'ooh' 'tuf came out without his control then the Namaz will not break. In the same way the words that come out when sneezing, coughing, yawning which are without control does not break the Namaz [Durr-e-Mukhtar].
• Rule: If when blowing, no noise is made then this is the same as breathing and the Namaz does not break but to do this on purpose is Makrooh, and if by blowing, two words are said such as 'oof 'tuf then the Namaz will break [Guniya].
• Rule: If when praying the Quran you physically read it whilst in Namaz or read it off the Mehrab will break the Namaz. If you are praying the Quranoff by heart and your view went on the Mehrab or somewhere where the Quran was written then the Namaz will not break [Durr-e-Mukhtar].
• Rule: If you perform Amal-e-Kasir and is not part of Namaz or done to correct the Namaz, then the Namaz will break. Amal-e-Qalil will not break the Namaz. Amar-e-Kasir is an act whereby if someone from far looked at the person praying Namaz, they would be certain that he is not in Namaz or they have a definite doubt that they are in Namaz and this would break the Namaz. Amal-e-Qalil is when a person from far has doubt whether he is in Namaz or not, then this would not break the Namaz.
• Rule: If you wore a top or trousers or a 'Tehband' whilst in Namaz then the Namaz will break.
• Rule: To eat or drink in Namaz will break the Namaz, whether it is large in quantity or small, whether it was eaten by mistake or deliberately upto the extent that if an item the size of a linseed was swallowed without even chewing it or a drop of water fell into the mouth and you swallowed it, then the Namaz will break.
• Rule: Death, insanity, unconsciousness, all will break the Namaz. If you wake up before the time has passed then perform the Ada Namaz again, and if you wake up after the time of Namaz then perform Qaza, as long as it is within twenty four hours meaning before the time of six Namaz has passed. If you regain consciousness or sanity after six Namaz has passed then the Qaza is not Wajib [Alamgiri, Durr-e-Mukhtar, Radd-ul-Mohtar].
• Rule: If you broke your Wuzu deliberately or for some reason a bath became obligatory, then the Namaz will break.
• Rule: If you missed an obligatory aspect of Namaz and did not perform it in that Namaz then the Namaz will break.
• Rule: If you missed a condition of Namaz without cause, then the Namaz will break.
• Rule: If after the last Qaidah you remembered that you had to perform a Sijdah for that Namaz or a Sijdah for Tilaawat and you performed that and then did not repeat the last Qaidah, then the Namaz will break.
• Rule: If you performed an act whilst you were sleeping in Namaz and then you woke up again and did not perform that act again, then the Namaz will not count.

When can you kill a snake or scorpion whilst in Namaz

• Rule: The Namaz will not break by killing a snake or scorpion as long as you do not have to move more than three steps or hit more than three strikes. If you have to move more than three steps or have to make more than three strikes then the Namaz will break.
• Rule: You have the permission to kill a snake or scorpion whilst praying Namaz even if it breaks the Namaz.
• Rule: It is only a good thing to kill a snake or scorpion when it comes in front of you and you are afraid it might bite you. If you are sure it will not harm you then it is Makrooh [Alamgiri].
• Rule: By scratching three times in one act breaks the Namaz. Meaning if you scratch and then replace your hand, you scratch again and replace your hand and you scratch again and replace your hand then your Namaz will break. If you move your hand once and scratch many times then this would be regarded as scratching just once and therefore the Namaz will not break [Alamgiri, Guniya].
• Rule: Whilst in the Takbeers you mispronounced the words Allah-o-Akbar by saying Aallah or Aakbar or Akbaar, then in all these situations the Namaz will break. If you mispronounced Allah-o-Akbar in the Takbeer-e-Tahrima then the Namaz would not start [Durr-e-Mukhtar etc.]. Whilst praying the Quran you make such a mistake whereby the meaning would change then the Namaz will break.
• Rule: If someone crosses in front of a Namazee then whether it be an animal or a person the Namaz does not break. However, the person crossing will have caused a big sin. If the person was aware of how much of a sin this is then he would wait a hundred years stood still rather than crossing, in fact he would rather be buried there than cross the Namazee.
• Rule: If a person crosses a Namazee in a field and leaves a space of three feet distance (From the place where he performs Sijdah) then there is no harm, however, he cannot do this in a house or Mosque.
• Rule: If there is an object in front of the Namazee then you can cross the Namazee with the object in between.

Definition of an object An object is such an item that will cause an obstruction.

• Rule: An object should be at least one arm's length in height and one finger in width and a maximum of three arm lengths in height [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Radd-ul-Mohtar].
• Rule: It is better to put the object in line with the right eyebrow.

What should the object be made of
The object can be of a tree, human or animal [Guniya].

• Rule: The object for an Imam is sufficient for the Muqtadee, meaning if someone crossed a Muqtadee and not the Imam but an object was placed in front of the Imam then there is no harm [Radd-ul-Mohtar]. If a Namazee wanted to stop someone crossing him then he should say 'Subhanallah' loudly or start praying the Quran loudly or put his hand out but he must be aware that he does not do it too many times otherwise it would end up being Amal-e-Kasir and therefore the Namaz will break [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Radd-ul-Mohtar].
  
  
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