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Congregational Prayer and Its Virtue
وَ فِي كِتَابِ زِيَادِ بْنِ مَرْوَانَ اَلْقَنْدِيِّ وَ فِي نَوَادِرِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ أَنَّ اَلصَّادِقَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: فِي رَجُلٍ صَلَّى بِقَوْمٍ مِنْ حِينَ خَرَجُوا مِنْ خُرَاسَانَ حَتَّى قَدِمُوا مَكَّةَ فَإِذَا هُوَ يَهُودِيٌّ أَوْ نَصْرَانِيٌّ قَالَ «لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِمْ إِعَادَةٌ.
In the book of Ziyad ibn Marwan al-Qandi and in the Nawadir of Muhammad ibn Abi Umayr, it is narrated that Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) said regarding a man who led a group in prayer from the time they left Khurasan until they reached Mecca, and then it was discovered that he was a Jew or a Christian: "They do not need to repeat their prayers”.
وَ سَأَلَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ أَخَاهُ مُوسَى بْنَ جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنِ اَلْمَرْأَةِ تَؤُمُّ اَلنِّسَاءَ مَا حَدُّ رَفْعِ صَوْتِهَا بِالتَّكْبِيرِ وَ اَلْقِرَاءَةِ فَقَالَ «قَدْرُ مَا تُسْمِعُ.
Ali ibn Ja'far was asked about his brother Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (a.s) about a woman leading other women in prayer: "What is the limit of raising her voice in the takbir (saying 'Allahu Akbar') and in recitation?" Imam (a.s) replied: "To the extent that they can hear her."
وَ رَوَى عَمَّارٌ اَلسَّابَاطِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ اَلرَّجُلِ يَنْسَى وَ هُوَ خَلْفَ اَلْإِمَامِ أَنْ يُسَبِّحَ فِي اَلسُّجُودِ أَوْ فِي اَلرُّكُوعِ أَوْ يَنْسَى أَنْ يَقُولَ بَيْنَ اَلسَّجْدَتَيْنِ شَيْئاً قَالَ «لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ.
Ammar al-Sabati narrated from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) who said: "I asked him about a man who, while praying behind an Imam, forgets to say the tasbih (glorification) during Sujood (prostration) or ruku' (bowing) or forgets to say something between the two prostrations." Imam (a.s) said: "There is no obligation upon him (no penalty)."
وَقَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ لِرَجُلٍ «أَيَّ شَيْءٍ يَقُولُ هَؤُلاَءِ فِي اَلرَّجُلِ إِذَا فَاتَتْهُ مَعَ اَلْإِمَامِ اَلرَّكْعَتَانِ» قُلْتُ يَقُولُونَ يَقْرَأُ فِي اَلرَّكْعَتَيْنِ بِالْحَمْدِ وَ سُورَةٍ فَقَالَ «هَذَا يُقَلِّبُ صَلاَتَهُ فَيَجْعَلُ أَوَّلَهَا آخِرَهَا» قُلْتُ فَكَيْفَ يَصْنَعُ قَالَ «يَقْرَأُ فَاتِحَةَ اَلْكِتَابِ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَةٍ.
Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s) sked a man: "What do these people say about a person who misses two rak'ahs with the Imam?" The man replied: "They say he should recite Al-Hamd (Surah Al-Fatiha) and a Surah in the two rak'ahs." Imam (a.s) said: "This would reverse his prayer, making the beginning the end." The man then asked: "So what should he do?" Imam (a.s) replied: "He should recite Surah Al-Fatiha in each rak'ah”.
وَ سَأَلَ عَمَّارٌ اَلسَّابَاطِيُّ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنْ رَجُلٍ سَهَا خَلْفَ إِمَامٍ بَعْدَ مَا اِفْتَتَحَ اَلصَّلاَةَ فَلَمْ يَقُلْ شَيْئاً وَ لَمْ يُكَبِّرْ وَ لَمْ يُسَبِّحْ وَ لَمْ يَتَشَهَّدْ حَتَّى يُسَلِّمَ فَقَالَ «قَدْ جَازَتْ صَلاَتُهُ وَ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ إِذَا سَهَا خَلْفَ اَلْإِمَامِ وَ لاَ سَجْدَتَا اَلسَّهْوِ لِأَنَّ اَلْإِمَامَ ضَامِنٌ لِصَلاَةِ مَنْ صَلَّى خَلْفَهُ.
Ammar al-Sabati asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) about a man who becomes forgetful while praying behind an Imam after beginning the prayer. He neither said anything, made the takbir (saying 'Allahu Akbar'), glorified (did tasbih), nor recited the tashahhud until the Imam concluded the prayer with the taslim. Imam (a.s) said: "His prayer is valid, and there is no obligation upon him. If he was forgetful while praying behind the Imam, he is not required to perform the two prostrations for forgetfulness because the Imam is responsible for the prayer of those who pray behind him”.
وَ رَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَهْلٍ عَنِ اَلرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «اَلْإِمَامُ يَحْمِلُ أَوْهَامَ مَنْ خَلْفَهُ إِلاَّ تَكْبِيرَةَ اَلاِفْتِتَاحِ.
Muhammad ibn Sahl narrated from Imam Al-Ridha (a.s) that He said: "The Imam bears the mistakes (or forgetfulness) of those who pray behind him, except for the opening takbir (takbirat al-ihram)."
وَ اَلَّذِي رَوَاهُ أَبُو بَصِيرٍ عَنِ اَلصَّادِقِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: حِينَ قَالَ لَهُ أَ يَضْمَنُ اَلْإِمَامُ اَلصَّلاَةَ فَقَالَ «لاَ لَيْسَ بِضَامِنٍ.
Abu Basir narrated from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) that when he asked: "Does the Imam guarantee (the correctness of) the prayer?" Imam (a.s) replied: "No, he is not a guarantor."
مَا رَوَاهُ جَمِيلُ بْنُ دَرَّاجٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَحَدِهِمَا عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ يُصَلِّي بِقَوْمٍ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ أَخْبَرَهُمْ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ عَلَى وُضُوءٍ قَالَ «يُتِمُّ اَلْقَوْمُ صَلاَتَهُمْ فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ عَلَى اَلْإِمَامِ ضَمَانٌ.
Jamil ibn Darraj narrated from Zurarah, from one of the Imams (a.s) who said: "I asked him about a man who leads a congregation for two rak'ahs and then informs them that he was not in a state of wudu' (ritual purity). Imam (a.s) said: 'The congregation should complete their prayer because the Imam bears no responsibility (for their prayers).'".
وَقَالَ أَبُو اَلْمَغْرَاءِ حُمَيْدُ بْنُ اَلْمُثَنَّى: كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ فَسَأَلَهُ حَفْصٌ اَلْكَلْبِيُّ فَقَالَ أَكُونُ خَلْفَ اَلْإِمَامِ وَ هُوَ يَجْهَرُ بِالْقِرَاءَةِ فَأَدْعُو وَ أَتَعَوَّذُ قَالَ «نَعَمْ فَادْعُ.
Abu al-Maghra' Humayd ibn al-Muthanna said: "I was with Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) when Hafs al-Kalbi asked him: "When I am behind the Imam and he is reciting aloud, may I make supplications and seek refuge (in Allah (swt))?" Imam (a.s) said: "Yes, you may supplicate."
وَ رَوَى اَلْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ اَلْأَرَّجَانِيُّ عَنْهُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «مَنْ صَلَّى فِي مَسْجِدِهِ ثُمَّ أَتَى مَسْجِداً مِنْ مَسَاجِدِهِمْ فَصَلَّى مَعَهُمْ خَرَجَ بِحَسَنَاتِهِم.
Al-Hussain ibn Abdullah al-Arrajani narrated from Imam (a.s) who said: "Whoever prays in his own mosque and then goes to one of their mosques and prays with them, he will leave with the reward of their good deeds."
