Discussion on the ruling of congregational prayer.

The student : He says that blind imitation is blameworthy, and he says that we are still imitating and transmitting. He argues that we use the hadith of the blind man as evidence for the obligation of congregational prayer. I said, does the blind man not originally not have congregational prayer as an obligation?

The Shaykh : He says he does not have congregational prayer as an obligation.
The student: Yes.

The Shaykh : And his evidence is that, as long as he does not imitate...
The student: This is possible.

The Shaykh : This does not have a general application.
The student : Okay, the hadith that a man’s prayer alone is good, and good, and in the mosque in congregation is, for example, twenty-five degrees, twenty-seven degrees...

The Shaykh : Yes, what is in this?
The student : A man’s prayer alone in congregation.

The Shaykh : What is in this? I am not telling you to repeat. Why do you mention this hadith?
The student : Is it not evidence that prayer in congregation is not obligatory?

The Shaykh : What is the aspect of the indication?
The student : His prayer alone.

The Shaykh : This is said, may Allah bless you, if it were said that congregational prayer is a condition, perhaps you would distinguish between a condition and an obligatory act?
The student : The condition and the obligatory act.

The Shaykh : Yes.
The student : Yes... a lecture on the difference between a condition and an obligatory act.

The Shaykh : Oh, and the covenant is not far from you.
The student : Yes, very close.

The Shaykh: All right.
The student : At our brother Khalid al-Alaunah’s place.

The Shaykh : I know.
The student : ... the south.

The Shaykh : And therefore I tell you, this hadith indicates that congregational prayer is not a condition, but it does not indicate that it is not an obligatory act, because the reward of an obligatory act is undoubtedly greater than that of what is not obligatory. If we assume now that it is obligatory, and if the hadith had said a thousand instead of twenty-five in one narration, or twenty-seven...
The student: Yes.

The Shaykh : Would its indication still stand that congregational prayer is not an obligatory act? Say it.
The student : What should I say?

The Shaykh : What? Every question has its answer. I am asking you.
The student: Yes.

The Shaykh : If the virtue of congregation were a hundred, the hadith’s indication that congregation is not an obligatory act would still remain. And let us also, as we say in Syria, strike it again with an Alawite [example] so that the idea becomes clear in your mind.
The student: Yes.

The Shaykh : If it were a thousand instead of a hundred.
The student: Yes.

The Shaykh : Would the hadith’s indication still be that congregational prayer is not an obligatory act?
The student : It would remain an obligatory act.

The Shaykh : How?
The student : Congregational prayer would remain an obligatory act.

The Shaykh : I don’t think you are following me. Okay, if we went down from a thousand to a hundred, what would congregational prayer remain?
The student : An obligatory act.

The Shaykh : An obligatory act.
The student: Yes.

The Shaykh : And if we went down from a hundred to twenty-five.
The student : An obligatory act.

The Shaykh : Yes, say...
The student : An obligatory act from this text. Meaning, this text indicated the recommendation.

The Shaykh : That is how he says it.
The student : Do you want to look for a text that contains a warning for whoever leaves the congregation?

The Shaykh : No, no, not like that now. We must understand that this hadith does not indicate that congregational prayer is an obligatory act.
The student: Yes.

The Shaykh : It indicates that congregational prayer has a virtue.
The student: Yes.

The Shaykh : But this virtue negates the obligation if it is established by a legal proof.
The student : It does not negate it, Shaykh.

The Shaykh : We want to hear it from him.

The questioner : It does not negate it, Shaykh.

The Shaykh : So how can it be said that the hadith indicates that congregational prayer is not an obligatory act? The correct and accurate opinion is to say that this hadith indicates the great virtue of congregational prayer. As for its ruling, is it a condition, is it an obligatory act, is it obligatory for those who distinguish between an obligatory act and a duty, or is it a confirmed sunnah, or a collective obligation? Some have said all of this. Does this hadith indicate any of these rulings? The answer is no, no, no. It only indicates that congregational prayer has this virtue. So set this hadith aside and search for the other hadiths and their indications. If a legal proof establishes that congregational prayer is a pillar, we take this proof, and it does not contradict the hadith that explains the virtue. And by that, judge: if a proof establishes the obligation, we say, by the requirement of this proof, it is obligatory. The sunnah, the sunnah. We were told that the previous road is under repair, so perhaps this is it. He said between us and... four hundred meters, five hundred meters.
The student : From here, Shaykh?

The Shaykh : Perhaps we need to go from here. I don’t think... meaning, a tyrannical ruler.
The student : No, you are our ruler on this trip, because there are no signs there, our Shaykh, for paving roads.

The Shaykh : And where?
The student : But here in this...

The Shaykh : Our road, my brother, our road that we will enter the farm through... the one we will enter the farm through...
The student : There, over there.

The Shaykh: Yes.