what is the philosophy behind Congregational Prayer?
Performing Salat or prayer in congregation is so much recommended in Islam. There are some philosophies and benefits for such a prayer.
At the beginning we can divide them into two major branches:
1) The spiritual benefits like:
-The fulfillment of the needs and wishes. The holy Prophet of Islam said:
“When a servant performs the prayer in congregation and after that asks Allah for a need, Allah will get ashamed from that person if He rejects his/her need before returning(from prayer).”
-It works as a cure for hypocrisy.
The holy Prophet of Islam said:
“The one who performs the prayer in congregation for forty days regularly, he/she will be given two kinds of documents of release, release from the fire (of Hell) and release from hypocrisy.”
-It is a compensation for the sins.
Imam Baghir peace be upon him said:
“There are three things that compensate the sins;
1) Performing Wudo in cold weather.
2) Walking during day and night toward performing prayer.
3) Permanence on the congregational prayer.”
-It is as a companion in the grave.
The holy Prophet of Islam said:
“Be aware, the one who moves toward the mosque for congregational prayer, for every step that he/she takes, seventy thousands Hasanah(rewards) will be written for him/her( in the book of deeds) … and if he/she dies in this state, Allah will assign seventy thousands angels on him/her to visit him/her in his/her grave and to be companions for his/her privacy and ask repentance( from Allah) for him/her till the day that he/she will be resurrected.”
-It is a way for the elevation of the (spiritual) position.
The holy Prophet of Islam said:
O’ Ali, there are three things that are the causes for the elevation of the position of a believer;
1) The perfect Wodu in the cold weather.
2) The expectation for (the next) prayer after a prayer.
3) The regular presence in congregational prayer.”
There are a lot of other spiritual benefits that we do not mention them here.
2) The second aspect of congregational prayer is its individual effects or the effects on the personal issues.
The holy Prophet of Islam said about the mosque which is a place for congregational prayer:
“The one who constantly goes to the mosque, he/she gains (at least) one of these eight benefits:
A verse of the Quran, or a friend from whom he/she can get benefit, or learning new knowledge, or getting from the mercy that was expecting him/her, or hearing a saying that guides him/her to the (straight) path or prevents him/her from committing the sin, or (at least) leaving the sin because of shame or leaving the sin out the fear.”
3) The other aspect of congregational prayer is its social benefits, like:
-The strengthening the spirit of brotherhood.
The holy Prophet of Islam said:
“Order the line of congregational prayer, (if you do that), your hearts get balanced, and be in touch with each other (if you do that); you will be merciful and kind to each other.”
-The other social benefit of congregational prayer is that it is a cause for the good guess (being optimistic) toward the participants in that.
The holy Prophet of Islam said:
“Have the good guess of having every virtue and righteousness, toward the one who performs his/her five prayers in congregation.”
4) The other aspect of the congregational prayer is its political benefits.
It is a way that shows the majesty and glory of Muslims, and it has different benefits and consequences, like removing the disunity among Muslims or in another words, it is a way for the coherence between Muslims, it is a way for making the hypocrisy disappointed, and as Imam Riza peace be upon him said, it is a way for helping and spreading the cooperation for righteous deeds.
For example you have might seen that in many mosques, the Muslims try to solve the financial problems or family problems or other problems of the Muslims.
5) The fifth aspect of the congregational prayer can be its moral benefits, like:
It removes the sense of wrong priority that some people might have, because of their social position or differences in the levels of life, or wealth and health etc. you see that Muslims stands in lines that different people with different jobs, accents or prestige, are standing beside each other, and the spirit of isolation gets removed from the members of the society and as the last point in this regard, we can say that it is a symbol for order and discipline, the Muslims in such a prayer, perform the parts of prayer with each other in tidy lines and usually in its first time after call to prayer(Azaan).
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Source:
Porseman.org
