Fath al-Rabbani

Under this chapter, the following sub-chapters and hadiths have been mentioned.

This narration is reported with another chain as follows: They say: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: In any settlement where three people reside and neither the call to prayer is given nor the prayer is established, Satan prevails over them. Therefore, congregation is obligatory upon you, for the wolf only eats the sheep that stays away from the flock. Ibn Mahdi said that Sa’ib believes that by “congregation is obligatory upon you,” what is meant is prayer in congregation.

‘Ubada bin Nasi says: In Syria, there was a man named Ma‘dan, and Sayyiduna Abu Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) used to teach him the Qur’an. Sayyiduna Abu Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) found him missing. Then one day, when he met him at the place of Dabiq, he said: “Ma‘dan! What happened to the Qur’an that you had? How is your relationship with the Qur’an these days?” He replied: “Allah Almighty taught it to me, and taught it well.” Sayyiduna Abu Darda’ asked: “Ma‘dan! Do you live in the city these days or in a village?” Ma‘dan replied: “No, I reside in a village, which is near the city.” And in another narration: “I am in such villages that are near the city of Hims.” Sayyiduna Abu Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Leave it, woe to you, Ma‘dan! I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: ‘Where there are five houses and neither the call to prayer is given nor the prayer is established among them, Satan prevails over them, and (you should remember that) the wolf devours the sheep that stays apart. Therefore, it is obligatory for you to live in the cities. O Ma‘dan! Woe to you!’”

Under this chapter, the following sub-chapters and hadiths have been mentioned.

‘Ubada bin Nasi says: In Syria, there was a man named Ma‘dan, and Sayyiduna Abu Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) used to teach him the Qur’an. Sayyiduna Abu Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) found him missing. Then one day, when he met him at the place of Dabiq, he said: “Ma‘dan! What happened to the Qur’an that you had? How is your relationship with the Qur’an these days?” He replied: “Allah Almighty taught it to me, and taught it well.” Sayyiduna Abu Darda’ asked: “Ma‘dan! Do you live in the city these days or in a village?” Ma‘dan replied: “No, I reside in a village, which is near the city.” And in another narration: “I am in such villages that are near the city of Hims.” Sayyiduna Abu Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Leave it, woe to you, Ma‘dan! I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: ‘Where there are five houses and neither the call to prayer is given nor the prayer is established among them, Satan prevails over them, and (you should remember that) the wolf devours the sheep that stays apart. Therefore, it is obligatory for you to live in the cities. O Ma‘dan! Woe to you!’”

This narration is reported with another chain as follows: They say: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: In any settlement where three people reside and neither the call to prayer is given nor the prayer is established, Satan prevails over them. Therefore, congregation is obligatory upon you, for the wolf only eats the sheep that stays away from the flock. Ibn Mahdi said that Sa’ib believes that by “congregation is obligatory upon you,” what is meant is prayer in congregation.

Sayyiduna Malik bin Huwairith (may Allah be pleased with him) says: We, who were young men of about the same age, came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and stayed for twenty nights. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was very kind and soft-hearted. He (peace and blessings be upon him) sensed that we had become eager for our families, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) asked us about those (people) whom we had left behind in our homes. When we told him everything, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Go back to your families and stay among them, and teach them (the religion), and instruct them that when the time for prayer comes, one of you should give the call to prayer (adhan), then the eldest among you should lead the prayer.