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Congregational Prayer and Its Virtue
وَقَالَ اَلصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «أَفْسَدَ اِبْنُ مَسْعُودٍ عَلَى اَلنَّاسِ صَلاَتَهُمْ بِشَيْئَيْنِ بِقَوْلِهِ تَبَارَكَ اِسْمُكَ وتَعَالَى جَدُّكَ وَ هَذَا شَيْءٌ قَالَتْهُ اَلْجِنُّ بِجَهَالَةٍ فَحَكَاهُ اَللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَنْهَا وَ بِقَوْلِهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَيْنَا وَ عَلَى عِبَادِ اَللَّهِ اَلصَّالِحِينَ.
Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) said: "Ibn Mas'ud corrupted people's prayers with two things: by saying 'Blessed be Your Name, and Exalted is Your Majesty,' which was something the jinn said ignorantly, and Allah (swt), the Exalted, narrated it from them, and by saying 'Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah (swt)'."
وَ سَأَلَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ أَخَاهُ مُوسَى بْنَ جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنِ اَلرَّجُلِ يَكُونُ خَلْفَ إِمَامٍ فَيَطُولُ فِي اَلتَّشَهُّدِ فَيَأْخُذُهُ اَلْبَوْلُ أَوْ يَخَافُ عَلَى شَيْءٍ أَنْ يَفُوتَ أَوْ يَعْرِضُ لَهُ وَجَعٌ كَيْفَ يَصْنَعُ قَالَ «يُسَلِّمُ وَ يَنْصَرِفُ وَ يَدَعُ اَلْإِمَامَ.
Ali ibn Ja'far asked his brother Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (a.s) about a man who is behind an Imam and the Imam prolongs the tashahhud, causing the man to feel the urge to urinate, fear missing something, or experience pain. What should he do? Imam (a.s) replied: "He should perform the taslim (salutation of peace), leave, and leave the Imam."
وَقَالَ أَمِيرُ اَلْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «مَا كَانَ مِنْ إِمَامٍ تَقَدَّمَ فِي اَلصَّلاَةِ وَ هُوَ جُنُبٌ نَاسِياً أَوْ أَحْدَثَ حَدَثاً أَوْ رَعَفَ رُعَافاً أَوْ أَزَّ أَزّاً فِي بَطْنِهِ فَلْيَجْعَلْ ثَوْبَهُ عَلَى أَنْفِهِ ثُمَّ لْيَنْصَرِفْ وَ لْيَأْخُذْ بِيَدِ رَجُلٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ مَكَانَهُ ثُمَّ لْيَتَوَضَّأْ وَ لْيُتِمَّ مَا سَبَقَهُ بِهِ مِنَ اَلصَّلاَةِ وَ إِنْ كَانَ جُنُباً فَلْيَغْتَسِلْ وَ لْيُصَلِّ اَلصَّلاَةَ كُلَّهَا.
The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s) said: "If an Imam leading the prayer realizes during the prayer that he is in a state of janabah (major ritual impurity) due to forgetfulness, or if he experiences a minor impurity, nosebleed, or a disturbance in his stomach, he should place his garment over his nose and leave the prayer. He should take the hand of a man to lead the prayer in his place, then perform wudu' and complete what remains of his prayer. If he is in a state of janabah, he should perform ghusl (ritual purification bath) and then repeat the entire prayer."
وَ رَوَى مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ مَيْسَرَةَ عَنِ اَلصَّادِقِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «لاَ يَنْبَغِي لِلْإِمَامِ إِذَا أَحْدَثَ أَنْ يُقَدِّمَ إِلاَّ مَنْ أَدْرَكَ اَلْإِقَامَةَ فَإِنْ قَدَّمَ مَسْبُوقاً بِرَكْعَةٍ» فَإِنَّ عَبْدَ اَللَّهِ بْنَ سِنَانٍ رَوَى عَنْهُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ «إِذَا أَتَمَّ صَلاَتَهُ بِهِمْ فَلْيُومِ إِلَيْهِمْ يَمِيناً وَ شِمَالاً فَلْيَنْصَرِفُوا ثُمَّ لْيُكَمِّلْ هُوَ مَا فَاتَهُ مِنْ صَلاَتِهِ.
Muawiya ibn Maysara narrated from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) who said: "It is not appropriate for the Imam, if he becomes impure (breaks his wudu'), to appoint someone else to lead except for someone who was present from the beginning of the iqamah (call to start the prayer). If he appoints someone who has missed a rak'ah, it should not be done." Abdullah ibn Sinan narrated from him (a.s) that He said: "When the Imam completes his prayer with the congregation, he should gesture to them to the right and left so they can disperse, and then he should complete whatever part of the prayer he missed."
وَ رَوَى جَمِيلُ بْنُ دَرَّاجٍ عَنْهُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: فِي رَجُلٍ أَمَّ قَوْماً عَلَى غَيْرِ وُضُوءٍ فَانْصَرَفَ وَ قَدَّمَ رَجُلاً وَ لَمْ يَدْرِ اَلْمُقَدَّمُ مَا صَلَّى اَلْإِمَامُ قَبْلَهُ قَالَ «يُذَكِّرُهُ مَنْ خَلْفَهُ.
Jamil ibn Darraj narrated from Imam (a.s) regarding a man who led a congregation in prayer without wudu' (ritual purity), then left and appointed another man to lead, but the new leader did not know what the previous Imam had prayed. Imam (a.s) said: "Those behind him should remind him."
وَقَالَ زُرَارَةُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: رَجُلٌ دَخَلَ مَعَ قَوْمٍ فِي صَلاَتِهِمْ وَ هُوَ لاَ يَنْوِيهَا صَلاَةً وَ أَحْدَثَ إِمَامُهُمْ فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِ ذَلِكَ اَلرَّجُلِ فَقَدَّمَهُ فَصَلَّى بِهِمْ أَ تُجْزِيهِمْ صَلاَتُهُمْ بِصَلاَتِهِ وَ هُوَ لاَ يَنْوِيهَا صَلاَةً قَالَ «لاَ يَنْبَغِي لِلرَّجُلِ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ مَعَ قَوْمٍ فِي صَلاَتِهِمْ وَ هُوَ لاَ يَنْوِيهَا صَلاَةً بَلْ يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَنْوِيَهَا وَ إِنْ كَانَ قَدْ صَلَّى فَإِنَّ لَهُ صَلاَةً أُخْرَى وَ إِلاَّ فَلاَ يَدْخُلَنَّ مَعَهُمْ وَ قَدْ يُجْزِي عَنِ اَلْقَوْمِ صَلاَتُهُمْ وَ إِنْ لَمْ يَنْوِهَا.
Zurarah asked Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s) about a man who joined a group in their prayer without intending it as his own prayer. Then, their Imam experienced an issue (e.g., impurity) and took the hand of that man and appointed him to lead the prayer. Zurarah asked: "Does their prayer count if they complete it with him, even though he did not intend it as his own prayer?" Imam (a.s) replied: "It is not appropriate for a man to join a group in their prayer without intending it as his own prayer. Rather, he should intend it as such, even if he has already prayed. This way, he will have another prayer counted. If not, he should not join them. Nevertheless, the prayer of the group may be valid even if he did not intend it as his own”.
وَ سَأَلَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ أَخَاهُ مُوسَى بْنَ جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنْ إِمَامٍ أَحْدَثَ وَ اِنْصَرَفَ وَ لَمْ يُقَدِّمْ أَحَداً مَا حَالُ اَلْقَوْمِ قَالَ «لاَ صَلاَةَ لَهُمْ إِلاَّ بِإِمَامٍ فَلْيُقَدِّمْ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضَهُمْ فَلْيُتِمَّ بِهِمْ مَا بَقِيَ مِنْهَا وَ قَدْ تَمَّتْ صَلاَتُهُمْ.
Ali ibn Ja'far asked his brother Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (a.s) about an Imam who becomes impure (invalidates his wudu') and leaves the prayer without appointing someone to continue leading. What is the status of the congregation? Imam (a.s) replied: "There is no valid prayer for them without an Imam. Therefore, one of them should step forward to lead the remainder of the prayer, and their prayer will be completed."
وَ رَوَى اَلْحَلَبِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَنْ رَجُلٍ أَمَّ قَوْماً وَ صَلَّى بِهِمْ رَكْعَةً ثُمَّ مَاتَ قَالَ «يُقَدِّمُونَ رَجُلاً آخَرَ فَيَعْتَدُّ بِالرَّكْعَةِ وَ يَطْرَحُونَ اَلْمَيِّتَ خَلْفَهُمْ وَ يَغْتَسِلُ مَنْ مَسَّهُ وَ مَنْ صَلَّى بِقَوْمٍ وَ هُوَ جُنُبٌ أَوْ عَلَى غَيْرِ وُضُوءٍ فَعَلَيْهِ اَلْإِعَادَةُ وَ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنْ يُعِيدُوا وَ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يُعْلِمَهُمْ وَ لَوْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِ لَهَلَكَ» قَالَ قُلْتُ كَيْفَ كَانَ يَصْنَعُ بِمَنْ قَدْ خَرَجَ إِلَى خُرَاسَانَ وَ كَيْفَ كَانَ يَصْنَعُ بِمَنْ لاَ يَعْرِفُ قَالَ «هَذَا عَنْهُ مَوْضُوعٌ.
Al-Halabi narrated from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) that he was asked about a man who led a congregation, prayed one rak'ah with them, and then passed away. Imam (a.s) said: "They should appoint another man to lead them, count the rak'ah (already prayed), and move the deceased to the back. Those who touched him must perform ghusl (ritual purification). If someone led a congregation while in a state of major ritual impurity (janabah) or without wudu', they must repeat their prayer, but the congregation does not need to repeat theirs, and the Imam is not obligated to inform them. If he had to inform them, it would cause great distress." I asked: "How would this apply to someone who went to Khurasan or to those who are unknown?" Imam (a.s) replied: "This is not applicable to him (in such a case)."
وَ رَوَى اَلْحَلَبِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «إِذَا فَاتَكَ شَيْءٌ مَعَ اَلْإِمَامِ فَاجْعَلْ أَوَّلَ صَلاَتِكَ مَا اِسْتَقْبَلْتَ مِنْهَا وَ لاَ تَجْعَلْ أَوَّلَ صَلاَتِكَ آخِرَهَا.
Al-Halabi narrated from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) that He said: "If you miss a part of the prayer with the Imam, consider what you perform upon joining as the beginning of your prayer, and do not consider the beginning of your prayer as its end”.
وروى عبيد بن زرارة عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام " في رجل دخل مع الامام في الصلاة وقد سبقه بركعة فلما فرغ الامام خرج مع الناس، ثم ذكر أنه فاتته ركعة، قال: يعيد ركعة واحدة.
Ubayd ibn Zurarah reported from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) regarding a man who joined the prayer with the Imam but had missed one rak'ah. After the Imam concluded the prayer, he left with the people and then remembered that he had missed a rak'ah. Imam (a.s) said: "He should perform one rak'ah”.
