The congregational prayer

The virtues of the congregational prayer:
Performing the )obligatory( prayers in congregation is mandatory and
required of every believing adult male who has no excuse for not doing
so. Many authentic narrations highlight the superiority and excellence
of praying in congregation. Among these narrations are:
The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi was sallam, said: "Prayer in
congregation is superior to a prayer performed individually by
twenty-seven degrees."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
The Prophetalso said:"The prayer of a man in congregation is
twenty-five times more superior )in reward( to his prayer in his house
or market - and this is because he performs ablution and perfects it
and goes to the mosque with the sole purpose of performing the prayer.
He does not take a step without being raised a degree and having one
ofhis sins erased. When he prays, aslong as he does not lose his
ablution, the angels keep on praying ]for him[ 'O Allaah, bless him. O
Allaah, have mercy upon him.' And he is considered in prayer as long
as he is waiting forthe prayer."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
Abandoning the congregational prayer:
To know the status of praying with the congregation and how serious a
matter it is to abandon it, the Prophethardly exempted anyone from it.
Abu Hurayrahreported that a blind man said to the Prophet: "O
Messenger of Allaah, I have no guide to lead me to the mosque )to
attend the congregational prayer(." He askedthe Prophetfor permission
topray in his house and the Prophetpermitted him. Then, when he turned
to go, the Prophetcalled him and said: 'Do you hear the call to
prayer?'The blind man said 'yes.' The Prophetthen said: "Then respond
to it ]by coming to the mosque[!"]Muslim[
Moreover, the Prophetseverlywarned against abandoning it. Abu
Hurayrahalso reported that the Prophetsaid: "By Him in whose hand is
my soul! I have considered ordering a fire tobe kindled and then ask
someoneto lead the people in prayer. And then go to the men ]who did
not attend the prayer[ and burn their houses over them."]Al-Bukhaari
and Muslim[
This was clearly understood by the Companionsand their words reflected
it. 'Abdullaah IbnMas'oodsaid: "If anyone would like to meet Allaah
tomorrow as a Muslim, he shouldpersevere in observing these five
prayers )in congregation( whenever the call for them is made, for
Allaah has chosen for your Prophetthe way of rightguidance. And the
]five prayers in congregation[ are part of this right guidance. If you
were to pray them in your houses, as the one who stays behind in his
house, you would be leaving a 'Sunnah' of your Prophet. If you leave
the 'Sunnah' of your Prophetyou would go astray. Verily, I have seen a
time when no one abandoned them ]the congregational prayers[ except
for the hypocrites who were well known for their hypocrisy. A man
would be brought, supported by two people ]due to his weakness or
illness[ until he was placed in arow )in the congregation(."]Muslim[
The Prophetstressed on the importance of praying in a congregation
under all circumstances. In one narration, hesaid: "If there are three
men in a village or desert and prayer is not established among them,
then the devil takes mastery over them. So be with the congregation
since the wolf devours the remote )stray( sheep."]Abu Daawood[
What is considered a congregation?
The least number required for the congregational prayer is two:the
Imaam )leader( and another one with him. The more the people, the more
rewarding is the prayer by Allaah. The Prophetsaid: "A man's prayer
with another man is worth more than his prayer individually, and his
prayer with two men is worth more than his prayer with only one man.
The more there are, themore rewarding by Allaah."]Ahmad and Abu
Daawood[
The Prayer is better to be performed in the mosque. The farther mosque
is better than thenear. Concerning this, the Prophetsaid:"The people
attaining the most reward are those who have farthest to
walk."]Muslim, Ahmad and Abu Daawood[
Who should be the Imaam:
The congregational prayer is led by an Imaam. The Imaam should be
male, just, and well aware of Islamic jurisprudence. The Imaamstands
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 isthe best in
memorizing and reciting the Quran. If they are equal, then the one who
has the deepest knowledge of Sunnah. If they still are equal in the
knowledge of Sunnah, then the oldest of the group. The Messenger of
Allaahsaid:"Themost versed in recitation of the Book of Allaah leads
the people inthe prayer. If they are equal, thenthe one most aware of
the Sunnah. If they all are equal, the one who emigrated earlier. If
they all are equal, then the oldestof them."]Muslim[
Women attending the congregational prayer:
Concerning women, it is better and more rewarding for them to pray in
their houses than to attend the congregational prayers. However, they
may attend the congregational prayer in the mosque provided it will be
secure from any temptation by their attendance. Also, they should
avoid wearing or using any attractive or tempting adornment or
perfume, and refrain from intermingling with men, as the Prophetsaid:
"Donot prevent the female slaves of Allaah )i.e. women( from the
mosques of Allaah. They should go without wearing perfume. If one
wears perfume, it is not lawful for her to attend the prayer in
congregation in the mosque."]Ahmad and Abu Daawood[
Women leading the congregational prayer:
It is forbidden for a woman to lead a man in prayer. If a woman leads
a man in prayer, his prayer is void and he has to make it up. This is
a matter which is agreed upon among the jurists as we have clarified
in the following fatwa 89729.

Eid ul-Fitr (Article)

O Ummatul Muslimeen! The celebration of Eid ul-Fitr culminates a month
of fasting wherein the faithful have spent their time praying and
beseeching Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala for forgiveness and
mercy.For many, the most glorious month of Ramadan was not just an
abstention from food and drink. Rather,it was an exercise in patience
and discipline. Eid-ul-Fitr is the celebration for those who fasted
and obeyed Almighty Allah's rules and teachings. It is for those who
spent the most wonderful and month of caring and sharing, the month
of patience and the month of of constant Ibadah in complete devotion
to Almighty Allah Rabbul Ala'meen. Eid is a time when the entire
Muslim community comes together to share in each others joys and
blessings and also to lessen the burden of those who are suffering.
It is preceded by people shopping and looking around for gifts for
their near anddear ones. It is a time when the bright lights from
homes and shops illuminates our life. Weuse this day and the following
days to spread happiness and social harmony by visiting our friends
and relatives and offering our Duahs to all those who have departed
from the Doonya. Gifts are exchanged during Eid by young and old
alike. We also visit the elderly and the sick. Eid is a time where all
kinds or festivities prevail. Many of us gormandize to make up for
"lost food" during the month of Ramadan.
However, with all the going around we sometimes forget our lesser
privileged brethren. We forget that there are many out there who have
nothing to celebrate. There are those among our brothers and sisters
forwhom Eid day is just another ordinary day. There are those who open
their cupboards on Eid day and find them bare. There are those in
hospitals whowill go through a bleak and lonely day with no one
visiting them. Friendless, deprived of company, they will have no one
to offer solace or comfort. Let us therefore see to it that our
deprived brethren welcome the day of Eid-ul-Fitr with warmthand hope.
This, after all, is a day of caring and sharing and bringing joy and
happiness to those who are less fortunate.This is the essence and
message of this most wonderful day of reward.
O People of Imaan! As we buy gifts and clothes for our children, let
us earmark a special sum for those who cannot afford to buy. We should
also instill in our children a sense of compassion so that when they
buy something they will also think of their unfortunate brethren. Let
us teach them the art of giving, the art ofcaring and sharing. The
desire of wishing for others what we would wish for ourselves. We
should let them know that there are millions of children in war torn
areas of Iraq, Lebanon,Afghanistan, Palestine, Kashmir, Chechnya,
Bosnia, Kosova, the Philippines and the Caucasus region, the poor and
downtrodden areas of Africa, Asia and South America, and even in the
forgotten ghettos of Europe and North America who do not have the
basic necessities to make this day a different day- a day of joy and
happiness, a day of rejoicing and thanksgiving.
Ayyuhal Muslimoon! This is a day for praying and remembering our
unfortunate brothers and sisters who are victims of drought, famine
and other natural disasters as well as those who had survived the
devastating earthquake in Pakistanand Kashmir and the recent floods in
parts of Africa and Bangladesh. They needour urgent help and astrue
Muslims we must do whatever is necessary to assist them in rebuilding
their lives. We cannot divest ourselves from the misery of others. We
cannot shrug it off saying that it does not concern us. To do this
would be an injustice to humanity and to ourImaan. The Most Holy and
Glorious Quran reminds us in verse 8 of Surah Al Ma'idah:
"Be just: that is next to piety: and fear Allah for
Allah is well acquainted with all that you do."
Many of us donate money to charity and fulfill our religious duty.
However, if we actually meet the recipients of our charity the
perception of charity changes. There is a feeling of belonging when
the recipients and givers meet. Islamic ideology teaches us to be kind
and compassionate. Our Beloved Nabee Muhammad SallallahooAlayhi
Wasallam said:"I and the provider of the orphan will be together."
And what greater prize is there for anyone of us than to be around our
beloved Nabee - Rahmatul Liel Ala'meenSallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam? All
we need for that is Muhabbat, compassion, sincerity and a feeling of
brotherhood and understanding. And that will decide the quality of our
life on earth and the hereafter.
From the first moment that the light of Allah-wariness shines into the
heart of a human being possessing faith,he or she becomes conscious of
its worth and significance. Humility, modesty and kindness are proper
only before Almighty Allah, Who created all the existents and the
world of being with His Will, and human beings are His real servants.
Basically, humility in front of theMost Exalted Creator of the heavens
and the earth is itself the greatest source of human honour and
dignity.
As Muslims we must remember that the vital force that lies within a
pious person keeps him or her aware of the realities of life and he or
she never gets swallowed up by the deep and shoreless sea of mundane
things for the sake of enjoying life. That is because our intellect
and souls are infused with the Truths of the Din of Haqq and we view
everything in the perspective of an Islamic world view. Islam attaches
so muchvalue to the affairs of the faithful that their station of
honour is mentioned along with the Majesty of AlmightyAllah Subhanahu
Wata'ala and His Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam in [part
of] verse 8 of Surah Al Munafiqun:
"But honour belongs to Allah and His
Messenger and to the Believers."
O Ummatul Muslimeen!May Almighty Allah Most Merciful grant us all the
good fortune to revive the Islamic values in our midst andto cherish
them with all our heart: to bow and bend only before Him and to fear
no onebesides Him, and be loyal to His Din, and proud of His Message!
We beseech Him from the depths of our hearts to confer this great
wealth upon us for He is indeed, Able to do all things. This is the
humble Message ofEid to you, the believers of the Din of Haqq. Cure
the ills of the world with the panacea you possess. The world will
then know that this radical cure is possible only with the elixir
still preserved in its pristine purity by the Ummah of Almighty
Allah's Beloved - NabeeMuhammed al-Mustapha Sallallahoo Alayhi
Wasallam. This is the essence and message of Eid-ul-Fitr - the day the
Mala'eeka in heaven call it the Day of Youm-ul-Ja'iza - the day of
Great Reward.
And Almighty Allah knows best.
Baarak Allaahu Feekumwa-sal Allaahu wa-Sallam 'alaa
Nabiyyinaa Muhammad SallallahooAlayhi Wasallam.
Was Salamualaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu.

Eid-ul-Fitr

Living in the 21st century it is not surprising that so many religions
and ideologies exist in the world today. Even though there are so many
religions, each is distinguished by its own customs, traditions and
celebrations. For example, the Christians celebrate Christmas and the
Jews celebrate Hanukah. And while the Hindus celebrate Divali, the
Chinese celebrate the Chinese New Year. However, it is very strange
that none of these celebrations, traditions, and customs are supported
by any authentic source that exists in their ideologies and/or
religions.
Crusading through the history of time, we have realized that the
advent of Islam has played a magnificent and important role on
millions of lives. Even though the history of Islam is enriched with
great events and glorious moments, us Muslims only celebrate twice a
year. Why?
It has been reported by Hazrat Anas (ra): "When the Prophet of Allah
(saw) came to Madinah he noticed that the people used to celebrate two
days. He asked them:'Why do you celebrate these two days?'They
replied: 'We have been celebrating these two days since the days of
ignorance.' Thereafter the Prophet of Allah (saw) respondedto them,
saying: 'Allah (swt) has changed these two days with two better days,
'Eid-ul-Adha and 'Eid-ul-Fitr,'" (Targheeb wa tarheeb)
THE NIGHT PRECEDING 'EID-UL-FITR
Even though this night has been named Lailatul Jaiza (the night of
reward), it is unfortunate that us Muslims do not take advantage
ofsuch an opputunity to gain reward and blessings. Rather, at times we
get so engaged in renting cars, shopping for nice clothes, applying
henna etc., that we become negligent of the commands of Allah (swt).
The scholars have stated that Allah (swt) rewards His fasting slaves
on this very night, by accepting one's du'as. Thus a person's
everywish and prayer will be granted. Therefore one should perform
nafl, recite Qur'an and perform zikr on this night. The Holy Prophet
(saw) is also reported to have said:"Whoever stands up (inworship) in
the night preceding the two eids expecting reward form Allah, his
heart will not die when other hearts will die,"(Ibn Majah). In order
to benefit and gain blessings from this night one should strive to
perform a great number of good deeds on this sacred occasion.
ON THE DAY OF 'EID-UL-FITR
To perform the following on the day of 'Eid are Sunnah:
1.To wake up early.
2.To useMiswak.
3.To take a shower.
4.To put on one's best clothes.
5.To use'Itr(Scent).
6.To eat something sweet, preferably dates before the 'Eidprayer.
7.To reciteTakbir-ut-Tashriq(Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La Ilaha
Illallahu, Wallahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar wa lillahilhamd) in a loud
voice while going to the 'Eid prayer.
8.To proceed to the 'Eid prayer one way and to return home from another way.
THE FASTING OF SIX DAYS IN THE MONTH OF SHAWWAL.
The Prophet (saw) said,"Whoevercompletes the fast of Ramadan and then
fasts an additional six days in the month of Shawwal, he will be
entitled to a reward just as if he had fasted throughout the entire
year,"(Muslim).
The scholars of Islam, commentating on this tradition have stated,
that every good deed is multiplied by ten. The Holy Qur`an
states:"Whoever performs a good deed, shall have ten times the like
thereof to his credit."(Surah An'am, verse 160).Therefore the reward
for fasting during the month of Ramadan (for thirty days) amounts, or
is equal to the fasting of 300 days. If the fast of Ramadan is
followedby six additional fasts in the month of Shawwal (the month
following Ramadan) A person willbe entitled to a reward just as if he
fasted 360 days - an entire year (300 for Ramadan, 60 for the six
fasts of Shawwal). Nevertheless we should try to usethis opportunity
in acquiring such a magnificent reward.
Eid Mubarak

Eid al-Fitr - Understanding Islam

There are two major holidays in the Islamic calendar. The first is
calledEid al-Fitr, or the Festival of Fast-Breaking. This celebration
marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan and falls on the first
day of Shawwal, the month directly after Ramadan.
In preparation for this holiday, Muslims give money in charity so that
every family can enjoy the festivities and have a good meal. On the
early morning of the holiday, Muslims gather in a local mosque or
outdoor spacefor the special Eid prayers (salaat-l-'Eid). Every man,
woman, and child is welcome to attend this community prayer, which is
preceded by a sermon. Following a short prayer, worshipers greet each
other and begin several days of family visits.
The festivities of the holiday traditionally last for three days.
During this time, Muslims try to spend time with family and friends,
visit the sick and elderly, and offer games and gifts to the children.
Muslims thus celebrate the completion of another fasting month, seek
blessings and forgiveness, and look forward to the opportunity to fast
againthe following year.
The two Islamic "Eid" holidays are a joyful occasion for Muslims.
Non-Muslim friends and family are usually welcome to join in the
celebration, and small gifts or kind words are appropriate. The most
common phrase of greeting at this time isEid Mubarak!(Happy Eid!).