Chapter on the Virtue of Mosques and Prayer Within Them, and the Virtue of Congregational Prayer and Its Rulings

And from him, from al-Hasan ibn Musa al-Khashshab, from Ali ibn Asbat, from some of his men, who said: Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, said: “Keep your mosques free from; trade and buying and selling, and the insane, and children, and legal judgments, and lost property, and the carrying out of punishments, and raising the voice.”

From him, from Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Hashimi, from al-Amraki, from Ali ibn Ja’far, from his brother Imam Musa عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: I asked Imam al-Kadhim عليه السلام about poetry, is it proper for it to be recited in the mosque? Imam عليه السلام said: “There is no harm.” And I asked Imam عليه السلام about a lost item, is it proper for it to be announced in the mosque? Imam عليه السلام said: “There is no harm.”

Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Hassan al-Razi from Abu Muhammad al-Razi from Isma'il ibn Abi Abdillah عليه السلام from his father عليه السلام, peace be upon them both, who said: Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: “The Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family, said: ‘Reclining in the mosque is the monasticism (‘rahbaniyyah’) of the Arabs, and the mosque is the gathering place for the believer, and his monastery (‘sawm'ah’) is his house.’”

Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahbub from Ibrahim ibn Hashim from Amr ibn Uthman from Muhammad ibn Udhafir from Muhammad ibn Muslim from Abu Ja’far عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam al-Baqir عليه السلام said: “In Kufah, there are cursed mosques and blessed mosques. As for the blessed; the ‘Mosque of Ghani’. By Allah, its qiblah is upright, and its soil is pure, and it was established by a believing man. And the world will not end until two springs burst forth at it, and there will be two gardens upon it. But its people are cursed, and it has been taken away from them. And the mosque of ‘Banu Zafar’, and that is the ‘Mosque of al-Sahlah’, and the ‘Mosque of al-Hamra’, and the ‘Mosque of Ju‘fi’ and it is not their mosque today, (and It has disappeared.)” Imam عليه السلام said: “As for the cursed mosques; the ‘Mosque of Thaqif’, the ‘Mosque of al-Ash‘ath’, the ‘Mosque of Jarir ibn Abdillah al-Bajali’, the ‘Mosque of Simak’, and the ‘Mosque of al-Hamra’, it was built over the grave of a Pharaoh from among the Pharaohs.”

Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yahya from Ya'qub ibn Yazid from al-Hasan ibn Ali al-Washsha from Imam al-Ridha عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: I asked Imam al-Ridha عليه السلام about the prayer in the ‘Sacred Mosque’ (al-Masjid al-Haram) and the prayer in the ‘Mosque of the Messenger’, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family, are they equal in virtue? Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes, and the prayer in between them equals one thousand prayers.”

Muhammad ibn Yahya from al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Abdillah from Sulayman ibn Hisham from Salim from Abu Ja’far عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam al-Baqir عليه السلام said: “Four mosques in Kufah were renovated out of joy for the killing of Imam al-Husayn عليه السلام, peace be upon him; the ‘Mosque of al-Ash'ath’, the ‘Mosque of Jarir’, the ‘Mosque of Simak’, and the ‘Mosque of Shabath ibn Rib'i’. May Allah سبحانه وتعالى curse them.” (meaning may Allah سبحانه وتعالى curse those involved in the killing of Imam al-Husayn عليه السلام, those who renovated these ‘mosques’ out of joy for killing Imam al-Husayn عليه السلام)

Sahl ibn Ziyad from Amr ibn Uthman from Muhammad ibn Abdillah al-Khazzaz from Harun ibn Kharijah from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام said to me: “O Harun ibn Kharijah, how far is it between you and the ‘Mosque of Kufa’? Is it a mile?” I said: “No”. Imam عليه السلام said: “Then do you perform all the prayers in it?” I said: “No”. So Imam عليه السلام said: “If I were present near it, I would hope that not a single prayer would pass me by in it. And do you know the merit of that place? There is not a single righteous servant nor a prophet except that he has prayed in your mosque, even the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family. Indeed, when Allah سبحانه وتعالى caused the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family, to be taken on the ‘Night Journey’ (Mi’raj), Jibra'il عليه السلام, said to him: ‘Do you know where you are, O’ Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم? At this moment you are facing the ‘Mosque of Kufa’.” Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said: “Then ask permission from my Lord عز وجل, Mighty and Majestic, that I may go to it and pray two units of prayer in it.” So Jibra’il عليه السلام asked Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Majestic, for permission, and He عز وجل permitted. And indeed, its right side is a garden from the gardens of Paradise, And its center is a garden from the gardens of Paradise, And its rear is a garden from the gardens of Paradise. And indeed the obligatory prayer performed in it is equal to one thousand prayers, and the supererogatory prayer in it is equal to five hundred prayers. And sitting in it without recitation or remembrance is worship. And if the people knew what was in it, they would come to it even crawling.”

Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Abu Yusuf Ya'qub ibn Abdillah from the descendants of Abu Fatimah, from Isma'il ibn Zayd, the mawla of Abdillah ibn Yahya al-Kahili, from Abdillah ibn Yahya al-Kahili, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: A man came to the Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام, peace be upon him, while he was in the Mosque of Kufa. He said: “Peace be upon you, O’ Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام, and the mercy of Allah سبحانه وتعالى and His عز وجل blessings.” Imam Ali عليه السلام returned the greeting. The man said: “May I be your ransom, I intended to go to the ‘al-Masjid al-Aqsa’, and I wanted to greet you and bid you farewell.” So Imam عليه السلام said to him: “What do you intend by that?” He said: “The merit, may I be your ransom.” Imam عليه السلام said “Then sell your mount and consume your provisions and pray in this mosque (Mosque of Kufa), for the obligatory prayer performed in it is (rewarded as) an accepted Hajj, and the supererogatory prayer in it is (rewarded as) an accepted Umrah. And the blessing from it extends for twelve miles. Its right side is blessed, and its left side is deception. In its center is a spring of oil, and a spring of milk, and a spring of drinking water for the believers, and a spring of purifying water for the believers. From it the Ark of Nuh عليه السلام, peace be upon him, set sail. And in it were (the idols) Nasr, Yaghuth, and Ya'uq. Seventy prophets and seventy successors prayed in it. I am one of them,” And Imam Ali عليه السلام placed his hand upon his chest. (Imam عليه السلام then continued) “No distressed person ever supplicated in it with a need among his needs except that Allah سبحانه وتعالى answered him and relieved him of his distress.”

Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Sufyan ibn al-Simt, who said: Abu Abdillah عليه السلام said: “When you enter from the second gate on the right side of the mosque, count five pillars; two of them are under the shade and three of them are in the courtyard. At the third (pillar) is the prayer place of Ibrahim عليه السلام and it is the fifth from the wall.” He (Sufyan ibn al-Simt) said: “When it was the time of Abu al-Abbas, Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, entered from the ‘Gate of the Elephant’, then turned to the left as He عليه السلام entered from the gate and prayed at the fourth pillar, which is opposite the fifth. So I asked him: “Is that the pillar of Ibrahim عليه السلام, peace be upon him?” Imam عليه السلام said to me: “Yes.”

Ali ibn Ibrahim from Salih ibn al-Sindi from Ja’far ibn Bashir from Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Hadha’ from Abu Usamah from Abu Ubaydah from Abu Ja’far عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam al-Baqir عليه السلام said: “The ‘Mosque of Kufah’ is a garden from gardens of Paradise. One thousand and seventy prophets prayed in it. Its right side is mercy, and its left side is deception. And in it is the staff of Musa عليه السلام, peace be upon him, And the gourd tree (shajarat yaqtin), And the ring of Sulayman عليه السلام, peace be upon him. And from it ‘the oven gushed forth’ (Surah Hud 11:40), and the Ark (of Nuh عليه السلام) sailed. And it is the ‘navel of Babylon’ and the gathering place of the prophets عليه السلام.”

Muhammad ibn Yahya from Ali ibn al-Hasan ibn Faddal from al-Husayn ibn Sayf from Uthman from Salih ibn Abi al-Aswad, who said: Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, mentioned the ‘Mosque of al-Sahlah’ and said: “Indeed, it is the residence of our companion (the Qa'im (ajf)), when He (ajf) rises with his family.”

From him, from Amr ibn Uthman, from Husayn ibn Bakr, from Abd al-Rahman ibn Sa'id al-Khazzaz, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: “In Kufah, there is a mosque called the ‘Mosque of al-Sahlah’. If my uncle Zayd had gone to it and prayed in it and sought refuge with Allah سبحانه وتعالى, Allah سبحانه وتعالى would have granted him refuge for twenty years. In it is the resting place of the ‘Rider’.” It was asked: “And who is the ‘Rider’?” Imam عليه السلام said: “Al-Khidr عليه السلام, peace be upon him, and the house of Idris عليه السلام the Prophet, peace be upon him. And no distressed person has ever come to it and prayed in it, between the two evening prayers, and supplicated to Allah سبحانه وتعالى, Mighty and Majestic, except that Allah سبحانه وتعالى relieved his distress.”

Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yahya from Ya'qub ibn Yazid from Ziyad ibn Marwan from Yunus ibn Zabian, who said: Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, said: “The best mosques for your women are their homes.”

From him, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from his father, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from Hammad, from al-Halabi, who said: I asked Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام about covered mosques, is it disliked to stand in them? Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes, but prayer in them does not harm you today. And if justice were to be established, you would see for yourselves what would be done in that regard.” He (al-Halabi) said: “And I asked Imam عليه السلام, ‘May a man hang up his weapon in the mosque?’” Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes, but not in the ‘Great Mosque’ (al-Masjid al-Akbar), for my grandfather (Imam Ali ibn Husayn عليه السلام), peace be upon him, forbade a man from sharpening an arrowhead (mishqas) in the mosque.”

From him, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Muhammad ibn Yahya, from Talhah ibn Zayd, from Imam Ja’far عليه السلام, from his father عليه السلام, from Imam Ali عليه السلام, peace be upon him: Imam Ali عليه السلام used to break the mihrabs when He عليه السلام saw them in the mosques and would say: “It is as if they are altars of the Jews.”

From him, from Imam Ja’far عليه السلام, from his father عليه السلام: Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: “Imam Ali عليه السلام, peace be upon him, saw a mosque in Kufah that had been elevated in height, and Imam عليه السلام said: “It is as if it is a church,” And Imam عليه السلام said: “Indeed, Mosques are to be built plainly, not elevated.”

From him, from Muhammad ibn Hassan, from Abu Muhammad al-Nawfali, from al-Sakuni, from Imam Ja’far عليه السلام, from his father عليه السلام: Imam Ali عليه السلام, said: “A prayer in ‘Bayt al-Maqdis’ is equal to one thousand prayers, And a prayer in ‘Grand Mosque’ (al-Masjid al-A'zam) is equal to one hundred prayers, And a prayer in ‘Mosque of the Tribe’ (Masjid al-qabila) is equal to twenty-five prayers, And a prayer in the ‘Market Mosque’ (masjid al-suq) is equal to twelve prayers, And the prayer of a man alone in his house is one single prayer.”

From him, from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn, from Muhammad ibn Isma'il, from Salih ibn Uqbah, from Amr ibn Abi al-Miqdam, from his father, from Habbah al-Urani, who said: The Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام, peace be upon him, went out to al-Hirah and said: “Surely this shall be joined to this” And Imam عليه السلام gestured with his hand to Kufah and al-Hirah, (Imam عليه السلام continued) “Until land between them shall be sold by dinars, and a mosque shall indeed be built in al-Hirah with five hundred doors, in which the Caliph of the Riser ‘the Qa'im (ajf)’, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى the Exalted hasten his relief, will pray. This is because the ‘Mosque of Kufah’ will be too small for them. And indeed, twelve just Imams عليه السلام shall pray in it.” I asked: “O Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام, will this ‘Mosque of Kufah’ that you describe, be able to accommodate the people on that day?” Imam عليه السلام said: “Four mosques shall be built for him (the Qa'im (ajf)); Masjid al-Kufa will be the smallest of them, and this one, and two mosques at the two ends of Kufa, on this side and that side” And Imam عليه السلام pointed with his hand toward the Basrans (al-Basriyyin) and the people of al-Ghari (al-Ghariyyin).

From him, from Ahmad ibn al-Hasan, from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn and Ali ibn Hadid, from Muhammad ibn Sinan, from Amr ibn Khalid, from Abu Hamzah al-Thumali: Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn عليه السلام, peace be upon them both, came intentionally from Medina to the ‘Mosque of Kufah’, and Imam عليه السلام prayed in it four units of prayer. Then Imam عليه السلام returned until he mounted his riding animal and took the road.

From him, from Ahmad ibn al-Hasan, from Amr ibn Sa'id, from Musaddiq ibn Sadaqah, from Ammar ibn Musa, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: I asked Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام about prayer in Medina, is it like the prayer in the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family? Imam عليه السلام said: “No. Indeed, the prayer in the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family, is equal to one thousand prayers, and the prayer in Medina is like the prayer in all other cities.”

From him, from Sahl ibn Ziyad, from Ja’far ibn Muhammad ibn Bashshar, from Abdillah al-Dihqan, from Abd al-Hamid, from Abu Ibrahim عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam al-Kadhim عليه السلام said: “The Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family, said: ‘Keep your children and your insane ones and your buying and selling away from your mosques, and place your wash areas (matahir) at the doors of your mosques.’”

And with this chain of transmission, he said: The Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family, said: “Whoever sweeps the mosque on Thursday and the night of Friday and removes from it dust, that can be scattered into the eye, Allah سبحانه وتعالى will forgive him.”

Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yahya from Isa ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn Mahziyar with his chain of transmission, who said: Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, said to him: “The boundary of the ‘Mosque of Kufah’ is at the end of the area of the lamp-makers (al-sarrajin); it was marked out by Adam عليه السلام, peace be upon him, and I dislike entering it while riding.” He (narrator) said: “I asked, ‘Then who changed it from its original plan?’” Imam عليه السلام said: “The first of that was the flood in the time of Nuh عليه السلام, peace be upon him, then it was changed by the people of Kisra and al-Nu'man, then it was altered by Ziyad ibn Abi Sufyan, may the curse of Allah سبحانه وتعالى be upon him.”

From him, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Nasr, who said: I asked Abul Hasan عليه السلام, peace be upon him, about the grave of (Sayyidah) Fatimah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, peace be upon her. Imam عليه السلام said: “She صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم was buried in her house, and when the Umayyads expanded the mosque, it became part of the mosque.”

From him, from Ya'la ibn Hamzah, from al-Hajjal, from Ali ibn al-Hakam, from a man, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: “Whoever walks to the mosque, he does not place a foot on anything moist or dry except that the earth glorifies Allah سبحانه وتعالى on his behalf down to the seventh layer of the earth.”

Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yahya from Ibrahim ibn Hashim from al-Nawfali from al-Sakuni from Imam Ja’far عليه السلام, from his father عليه السلام, peace be upon them both, who said: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family, said: “Whoever makes the Quran his speech and the mosque his home, Allah سبحانه وتعالى will build for him a house in Paradise.”

Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Barqi from al-Qasim ibn Yahya from his grandfather al-Hasan ibn Rashid from Abu Basir from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, from his forefathers, from Imam Ali عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam Ali عليه السلام said: “Whoever eats anything whose odor is offensive, let him not come near the mosque.”

Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahbub from al-Hasan ibn Ali al-Kufi from Ja’far ibn Muhammad from Abdillah ibn Maymun al-Qaddah from Imam Ja’far عليه السلام, from his father عليه السلام, peace be upon them both, who said: The Prophet, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family, said: “Take care of your sandals at the doors of your mosques, and he forbade a man from putting on his sandals while standing.”

Ahmad from al-Barqi from al-Nawfali from al-Sakuni from Imam Ja’far عليه السلام, from his father عليه السلام, from his forefathers, from Imam Ali عليه السلام, peace be upon him: Imam Ali عليه السلام, peace be upon him, passed by a tall minaret and ordered it to be demolished. Then Imam عليه السلام said: “A minaret is not to be raised except to the level of the roof of the mosque.”

Ahmad ibn Abi Abdillah from his father from Wahb ibn Wahb from Imam Ja’far عليه السلام, from his father عليه السلام, peace be upon them both, who said: Imam عليه السلام said: “If one of you removes a pebble from the mosque, let him return it to its place or to another mosque, for it glorifies Allah سبحانه وتعالى (does tasbih).”

Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Yahya from Ghiyath ibn Ibrahim from Imam Ja’far عليه السلام, from his father عليه السلام, from his forefathers, peace be upon them: Imam Ali عليه السلام, peace be upon him, said: “Spitting in the mosque is a sin, and its expiation is to bury it.” (meaning cover it with sand)

Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahbub from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Musa ibn Yasar from Ali ibn Ja’far al-Sakuni from Isma’il ibn Muslim al-Shayiri from Imam Ja’far عليه السلام, from his father عليه السلام, from his forefathers, peace be upon them: Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: “Whoever honors the mosque regarding his phlegm (spitting it in a respectful or hidden manner), he shall meet Allah سبحانه وتعالى on the Day of Resurrection smiling, having been given his book (of accountability) in his right hand (kitabahu biyaminihi).”

From him, from Abu Ishaq al-Nahawandi, from al-Barqi, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from Abdullah ibn Sinan, who said: I heard Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, say: “Whoever spits phlegm (tanakhkhaʿa) in the mosque and then swallows it back into his body, there will not remain any illness in his body except that it will be cured.”

Al-Husayn ibn Sa’id from Muhammad ibn Mihran from Abdullah ibn Sinan from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: I said to Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام: “A man is in the mosque in prayer and wants to spit.” Imam عليه السلام said: “To his left. And if he is not in prayer, then he should not spit facing the Qiblah, but he may spit to his right or to his left.”

Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yahya from al-Abbas ibn Ma'ruf from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Talhah ibn Zayd from Imam Ja’far عليه السلام, from his father عليه السلام, peace be upon them both, who said: Imam al-Baqir عليه السلام said: “Let none of you spit during prayer in front of his face, nor to his right, but let him spit to his left and beneath his left foot.”

Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahziyar said: I saw Abu Ja’far al-Thani عليه السلام (the Second), peace be upon him, spit in the ‘Sacred Mosque’ (al-Masjid al-Haram) between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone, and Imam عليه السلام did not bury it.

Sa’ad from Abu Ja’far from al-Abbas ibn Ma‘ruf from Safwan from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from Sulayman, the client of Tirbal, from Ubayd ibn Zurarah, who said: I heard Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, say: “Abu Ja’far عليه السلام, peace be upon him, used to pray in the mosque and would spit in front of him, to his right, to his left, and behind him on the pebbles, and he would not cover it.”

Al-Husayn ibn Sa’id from Fadalah from Rifa‘ah ibn Musa who said: I asked Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, about performing ablution in the mosque. Imam عليه السلام disliked it when it was after defecation or urination. (meaning dislike ‘karahah’ for doing wudu in the mosque when the cause for purification was relieving oneself)

Ali ibn Ibrahim from Muhammad ibn Isa from Mu‘awiyah ibn Wahb who said: I asked Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, about sleeping in the ‘Sacred Mosque’ (al-Masjid al-Haram) and the ‘Mosque of the Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم’. Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes. Where else would people sleep?”

From him, from his father, from Hammad, from Hariz, from Zurarah, who said: I said to Abu Ja’far عليه السلام, peace be upon him: “What do you say about sleeping in the mosques?” Imam عليه السلام said: “There is no problem except in two mosques; the ‘Mosque of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم’, peace be upon him and his family, and the ‘Sacred Mosque.’” He (Zurarah) said: “And Imam عليه السلام would take me by the hand during part of the night, then withdraw to a side, and sit and talk in the ‘Sacred Mosque’, and Imam عليه السلام would sometimes sleep. So I asked Imam عليه السلام about that, and Imam عليه السلام said: ‘It is only disliked to sleep in the part of the mosque that existed during the time of the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family. As for that which is in this area, there is no problem with it.’”

Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Hammad ibn Isa from al-Husayn ibn al-Mukhtar from Abu Usamah Zayd al-Shahham who said: I asked Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, regarding the saying of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Mighty and Majestic: Do not approach the prayer while you are intoxicated’ (Surah An Nisa 4:43). Imam عليه السلام said: “(It is referring to) ‘the intoxication of sleep’.”

Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from one of his companions who said: I said to Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him: “I feel dislike for praying in their mosques (the opponents).” Imam عليه السلام said: “Do not dislike it, for there is no mosque that was built except upon the grave of a prophet or the trustee (wasi) of a prophet who was killed, and a sprinkling of his blood reached that spot, so Allah سبحانه وتعالى loved that He عز وجل be remembered there. So perform in them (these mosques) the obligatory prayers, and the recommended ones, and make up in them what you have missed (of prayers).”

Ali ibn Ibrahim from Muhammad ibn Isa from Yunus ibn Abd al-Rahman from al-‘Ala from Muhammad ibn Muslim from one of the two Imams عليه السلام, peace be upon them, who said: Imam عليه السلام said: “The Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, peace be upon him and his family, forbade drawing the sword in the mosque and sharpening arrows in the mosque,” And Imam عليه السلام said: “It (Mosque) was only built for other than that.”

Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Hasan ibn Mahbub from Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Hajjaj from Ja’far ibn Ibrahim from Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be upon them both, who said: The Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, peace be upon him and his family, said: “Whoever you hear reciting poetry in the mosques, say to him: ‘May Allah سبحانه وتعالى break your mouth! Verily, the mosques were only established for the Qur’an.’”

Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub from al-Hasan ibn Ali al-‘Alawi from Sahl ibn Jumhur from Abd al-‘Azim ibn Abdillah al-‘Alawi from al-Hasan ibn al-Husayn al-‘Urani from Amr ibn Jumay’ who said: I asked Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, about praying in mosques that contain images. Imam عليه السلام said: “I dislike that, but it does not harm you today. And if the ‘Just One’ (al Qaim (ajf)) were to rise, you would see what He (ajf) would do regarding that.”

Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Nasr from Aban ibn Uthman from Abu al-Jarud who said: I asked Abu Ja’far عليه السلام, peace be upon him, about a mosque that is within a house, and the people of the house want to expand into part of it, or move it to another place. Imam عليه السلام said: “There is no harm in that.” He (Abu al-Jarud) said: “And I asked Imam عليه السلام about a place that was previously a refuse area, then it is cleaned and made into a mosque.” Imam عليه السلام said: “Let earth be thrown over it until it covers it, for that is purer.”

Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahbub from al-Abbas from Safwan from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from Sulayman, the freed slave of Tirbal, from Ubayd ibn Zurarah, who said: I heard Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, say: “The entire earth is a mosque except for a latrine pit, or a graveyard.”

Sa’ad ibn Abdillah from Harun ibn Muslim from Mas‘adah ibn Sadaqah al-Ruba‘i from Imam Ja’far ibn Muhammad عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام was asked: “Is it permissible for a place that was a refuse area to be made into a mosque?” Imam عليه السلام said: “If earth is thrown over it to cover it and to cut off its odor, then there is no problem. And that is because earth is purifying, and with it the Sunnah has proceeded.”

Sa’ad from Abu Ja’far from his father from Abdullah ibn al-Mughirah from Abdullah ibn Sinan who said: I asked Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, about a mosque that is within a house or a room, and its people want to expand into part of it or move it to another place. Imam عليه السلام said: “There is no harm in that.” I (ibn Sinan) said: “And what about a place that was a refuse area for some time, then it is cleaned and made into a mosque?” Imam عليه السلام said: “Throw earth over it until it is covered, for that purifies it, if Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Exalted, wills.”

Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahbub from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Faddal from Tha‘labah ibn Maymun from Muhammad ibn Mudharib from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: “There is no harm in making a mosque over a place of excrement.”

Muhammad ibn Isma’il from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan from Safwan from al-‘Is ibn al-Qasim who said: I asked Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, about churches and synagogues, is it permissible to demolish them for the construction of mosques? Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes.”

Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahbub from al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn al-Nu‘man from Muhammad ibn Hassan from Ishaq ibn Yashkur al-Kahili from al-Hakam from Anas who said: The Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, peace be upon him and his family, said: “Whoever lights a lamp in a mosque from among the mosques of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the angels and the bearers of ‘the Throne’ will continue to seek forgiveness for him as long as there is light from that lamp in the mosque.”

Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali Ibrahim ibn Maymun from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: I said to Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام: “A man leads us in prayer and we follow him, is that more beloved to you, or praying in the mosque?” Imam عليه السلام said: “(Praying in) the mosque is more beloved to me.”

From him, from Muhammad ibn Yahya, from Talhah ibn Zayd, from Imam Ja’far عليه السلام, from his father عليه السلام, from Imam Ali عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam Ali عليه السلام said: “There is no prayer for the one who does not attend the obligatory prayers with the neighbours of the mosque, when he is free and in good health.”

Ali ibn Ibrahim from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hammad ibn Uthman from al-Halabi from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: I asked Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام about the mosque which ‘was founded on piety’. Imam عليه السلام said: “The Mosque of Quba.”

Muhammad ibn Ahmad from Ali ibn Isma’il from Muhammad ibn Amr ibn Sa’id who said: Musa ibn Ukayl narrated to me from Abd al-A‘la, the freed slave of the family of Sam, who said: I said to Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him: “How large was the mosque of the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, peace be upon him and his family?” Imam عليه السلام said: “Three thousand and six hundred cubits, irregularly shaped.”

Ali ibn Ibrahim from his father from Abdullah ibn al-Mughirah from Abdullah ibn Sinan from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: I heard Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام say: “Indeed, the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, peace be upon him and his family, built his mosque with samit (a type of simple material), then the Muslims increased in number, so they said: ‘O’ Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, if only you would command the mosque to be expanded’. Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said: “Yes.” So Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم commanded it, and it was expanded, and He صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم built it with sa'idah (palm trunks or branches). Then the Muslims increased again, so they said: ‘O’ Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, if only you would command the mosque to be expanded’. Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said: “Yes.” So Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم commanded it, and it was expanded, and its wall was built with ‘al-Untha’ and ‘al-Dhakar’ (with clay bricks called 'female' and 'male'). Then the heat became intense for them, so they said: ‘O’ Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, if only you would command the mosque to be shaded’. Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said: “Yes.” So Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم commanded it, and pillars were erected in it from palm trunks, then crossbeams and palm leaves and al-idhkhar (a fragrant desert grass) were placed over them. And they remained in it until rain struck them, and the mosque began to drip on them. So they said: ‘O’ Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, if only you would command the mosque to be plastered with clay’. The Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, peace be upon him and his family, said to them: “No. A canopy like the canopy of Musa عليه السلام, peace be upon him.” And it remained like that until the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, peace be upon him and his family, passed away. Its wall, before it was shaded, was (equivalent to) a man’s height. And when the shadow (al-fay’) reached one cubit, which is the space of a goat’s resting place, He صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم would pray the noon prayer (al-Dhuhr). And when it became double that, He صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم would pray the afternoon prayer (al-Asr).” And Imam عليه السلام said: “ ‘As-samit’ is one brick by one brick, ‘As-sa‘idah’ is one and a half bricks, and ‘Al-untha’ and ‘Al-dhakar’ are two differing bricks.”

Ibrahim ibn Hashim from al-Nawfali from al-Sakuni from Imam Ja’far عليه السلام, from his father عليه السلام, from his forefathers, peace be upon them, who said: Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: “The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, peace be upon him and his family, forbade the speaking of foreign languages (ratanat al-a‘ajim) in the mosques.” (meaning to preserve arabic clarity, reverence, and unity in worship)

From him عليه السلام, from his father عليه السلام, from his forefathers, peace be upon them, who said: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said: “Whoever hears the call to prayer in the mosque, and leaves without an excuse is a hypocrite, unless he intends to return to it.”

From him عليه السلام, from his forefathers عليه السلام, peace be upon them: Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: “The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, saw a man flicking a pebble in the mosque. Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said: “It continues to be cursed until it lands.” He صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said: “Flicking pebbles in gatherings is from the manners of people of Lut.” Then Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, peace be upon him, recited: “And you commit in your gatherings what is detestable” (Surah Al Ankabut 29:29), And Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said: “That is the flicking of pebbles.”

Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahbub from Ahmad from al-Barqi from al-Nawfali from al-Sakuni from Imam Ja’far عليه السلام, from his father عليه السلام, peace be upon them both: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, peace be upon him and his family, said: “Uncovering the navel, the thigh, and the knee in the mosque is from the ‘awrah (private parts to be covered).”

From him, from Muhammad ibn Abi al-Suhban from Muhammad ibn Sinan from al-‘Ala ibn Fudayl from one who narrated it from Abu Ja’far عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam al-Baqir عليه السلام said: “When you enter the mosque intending to sit, do not enter it except in a state of purity. And when you enter, face the qiblah, then supplicate to Allah سبحانه وتعالى and ask Him عز وجل, and mention His عز وجل name when you enter it. And praise Allah سبحانه وتعالى and send blessings upon the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, peace be upon him and his family.”

Al-Husayn ibn Sa’id from al-Hasan from Zur’ah from Sama’ah who said: It was said: “When you enter the mosque, say: ‘In the name of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى. Indeed, Allah سبحانه وتعالى and His عز وجل angels send blessings upon (Prophet) Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and the family of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, And peace be upon them and the mercy of Allah سبحانه وتعالى and His عز وجل blessings. My Lord عز وجل, forgive me my sins and open for me the doors of Your grace.’ And when you leave (the mosque), say the same.”

From him, from Fudayl ibn Uthman from Abdullah ibn al-Hasan who said: It was said: “When you enter the mosque, say: ‘O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, forgive me my sins and open for me the doors of Your mercy’. And when you leave, say: ‘O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, forgive me and open for me the doors of Your grace’.”

Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yahya from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from al-Hajjal from Abd al-Samad ibn Bashir from Hassan al-Jammal who said: I carried Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, from Medina to Mecca. He (Hassan al-Jammal) said: “When we reached the ‘Mosque of al-Ghadir’, Imam عليه السلام looked towards the left side of the mosque and said: ‘That is the place of the foot of the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family, where Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said: ‘Whoever I am his master (mawla), then Ali عليه السلام is his master (mawla). O’ Allah سبحانه وتعالى, befriend whoever befriends him and be the enemy of whoever is his enemy.’” Then Imam عليه السلام looked to the other side and said: “This is the place of the tent of ‘so-and-so’ and ‘so-and-so’ and Salim, the mawla (freed slave) of Abu Hudhayfah, and Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah. When they saw Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم raising his (Imam Ali عليه السلام) hand, some of them said: ‘Look at his eyes, they are turning as if they are the eyes of a madman.’ So Jibra'il عليه السلام, peace be upon him, descended with the verse: ‘And indeed, those who disbelieve, almost drive you to slip with their eyes when they hear the message, and they say: Indeed, he is mad; but it is nothing except a reminder to the worlds.’” (Surah Al Qalam 68:51-52) Then Imam عليه السلام said: “O Hassan, were it not for the fact that you are my camel driver, I would not have narrated this hadith to you.”

And Jabir ibn Abdillah al-Ansari narrated that he said: Imam Ali عليه السلام, peace be upon him, led us in prayer at ‘Baratha’ after returning from fighting the Kharijites, and we totalled around one hundred thousand men. Then a Christian descended from his hermitage and said: “Where is the leader of this army?” We said: “This is he.” (gesturing towards Imam Ali عليه السلام) So he (the Christian) approached Imam Ali عليه السلام and greeted him with peace, then said: “O my master, are you a prophet?” Imam عليه السلام replied: “No, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, my master, has died.” He (the Christian) said: “Then you are the successor of a prophet?” Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes.” Then Imam Ali عليه السلام said: “Sit down. How did you ask about this?” He (the Christian) said: “This hermitage was built for the sake of this place, and it is Baratha. And I read in the ‘revealed books’ that none prays in this place with such a gathering except a prophet or the successor of a prophet. And I have come to embrace Islam.” So he accepted Islam and came out with us to Kufah. Then Imam Ali عليه السلام, peace be upon him, said to him: “So who prayed here?” He (the ex-Christian) said: “Isa ibn Maryam عليه السلام and his mother prayed here.” Then Imam Ali عليه السلام, peace be upon him, said to him: “Shall I inform you who else prayed here?” He (the ex-Christian) said: “Yes.” Imam عليه السلام said: “Ibrahim عليه السلام, peace be upon him.”

Ali ibn Ibrahim from his father from Ibn Abi Umayr from Hisham ibn al-Hakam from Abu Ubaydah al-Hadhdha' who said: I heard Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, say: “Whoever builds a mosque, Allah سبحانه وتعالى will build for him a house in Paradise.” Abu Ubaydah said: “Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, passed by me on the road to Mecca, while I had arranged stones for a mosque, so I asked: ‘May I be your ransom, we hope that this is of that (included in the reward).’” Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes.”

Al-Husayn ibn Sa'id from Hammad ibn Isa from Muhammad ibn Yusuf from his father who said: I heard Abu Ja’far عليه السلام, peace be upon him, say: “Indeed, al-Juhani came to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family, and said: ‘O’ Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, I live in the desert and I am with my family, my children, and my servants. I call the adhan and the iqamah and I lead them in prayer. Are we considered a congregation (jama'ah)?’ Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said: “Yes.” He (al-Juhani) asked: “O Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, sometimes the servants follow the tracks of the clouds, so I remain with my family and children, and I call the adhan and the iqamah and lead them in prayer, are we considered a congregation?” Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said: “Yes.” He (al-Juhani) asked: “O Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, my children go about with the livestock, so I remain with my family, and I call the adhan and the iqamah and lead them in prayer, are we considered a congregation?” Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said: “Yes.” He (al-Juhani) asked: “O Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the woman goes out for her needs, so I remain alone, and I call the adhan and the iqamah, am I considered a congregation?” Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said: “Yes. The believer alone is a congregation.”

From him, from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Ishaq ibn Ammar who said: Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, said: “Does a man among you not feel ashamed, that he has a female servant, then he sells her, and she says (about him), 'He did not used to attend the prayer'?”

Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad from al-Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from al-Washsha’ from al-Mufaddal ibn Salih from Jabir from Abu Ja’far عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam al-Baqir عليه السلام said: “Let those who are closest to the imam (of prayer) be those among you who possess understanding and intellect, for if the imam (of prayer) forgets or becomes confused, they can correct him. And the best of the rows is the first one, and the best part of the first row is that which is closest to the imam (of prayer). And the superiority of congregational prayer over the prayer of a man alone is twenty-five degrees in Paradise.”

Muhammad ibn Isma'il from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan from Ibn Abi Umayr from Hafs ibn al-Bukhtari from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: “It will be counted for you (rewards), if you enter with them (in prayer) even if you do not follow them in prayer, the same as it is counted for you (in rewards) when you are with one whom you do follow (in prayer).”

Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahbub from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Dhubyan ibn Hakim from Musa ibn Ukayl al-Numayri from Ibn Abi Ya'fur from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: “The Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family, intended to burn the homes of a people who used to pray in their houses and did not attend the congregational prayer. Then a blind man came to Him صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and said: ‘O’ Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, I am blind of sight, and sometimes I hear the call but do not find anyone to lead me to the congregation and prayer with you’. So the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family, said to him: ‘Tie a rope from your house to the mosque and attend the congregation.’”

Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Abdillah ibn Muhammad al-Hajjal from Tha‘labah ibn Maymun who said: I asked Abu Ja’far عليه السلام, peace be upon him, about prayer behind the opponents (al-mukhalifin). Imam عليه السلام said: “They are, in my view, nothing but like walls.” (meaning it holds no spiritual or religious value or relevance)

Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ali ibn Mahziyar from Abu Ali ibn Rashid who said: I said to Abu Ja’far عليه السلام, peace be upon him: “Your followers have differed, so I pray behind all of them.” Imam عليه السلام said: “Do not pray except behind one whose religion and trustworthiness you are confident in.”

Ali ibn Ibrahim from his father from Hammad from Hariz from Zurarah who said: I said to Abu Ja’far عليه السلام, peace be upon him: “Some people have narrated from the Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام, peace be upon him, that Imam عليه السلام prayed four rak‘ahs after Jumu‘ah without separating them with a taslim.” Imam عليه السلام said: “O’ Zurarah, the Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام prayed behind a transgressor (fasiq), So when the transgressor said the taslim and departed, the Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام, peace be upon him, stood and prayed four rak‘ahs without separating them with a taslim. A man beside Imam Ali عليه السلام said: ‘O Abu al-Hasan, you prayed four rak‘ahs without separating them with a taslim?’ Imam Ali عليه السلام said: ‘They are four rak‘ahs that resemble one another’ So the man became silent, and by Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the man did not understand what Imam Ali عليه السلام meant to say to him.”

Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Ibn Muskan from Abu al-Abbas who said: I asked Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, about a man leading a woman in prayer in his house. Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes, she stands behind him.”

From him, from al-Husayn from Aban from al-Fudayl ibn Yasar who said: I said to Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him: “May I lead the obligatory prayer with Umm Ali?” Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes, she should be on your right side, and her prostration should be aligned with your feet.”

Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahbub from Ya'qub ibn Yazid from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Abdillah ibn Muskan who said: I sent to Imam عليه السلام a question from the questions of Ibrahim, which he was to deliver to Ibn Sadeer. So he asked Imam عليه السلام about it while Ibrahim ibn Maymun was sitting regarding a man leading women in prayer. Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes.” I said: “Ask Imam عليه السلام about them when there are young boys with them, who have not yet reached puberty. Do they stand with them in the same row, or do they stand in front of them?” Imam عليه السلام said: “No, rather they stand in front of them, even if they are slaves.”

From him, from Muhammad ibn Isa al-Ubaydi from al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Yaqtin from his father Ali ibn Yaqtin from Abu al-Hasan al-Madi, peace be upon him, who said: I asked Imam al-Kadhim عليه السلام about a woman leading other women in prayer, what is the limit for raising her voice in recitation or in takbir? Imam عليه السلام said: “As much as it allows them to hear.”

Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Musa ibn al-Qasim from Ali ibn Ja’far from his brother, peace be upon him, who said: I asked Imam al-Kadhim about a woman leading women in prayer, what is the limit for raising her voice in recitation or in takbir? Imam عليه السلام said: “As much as it allows them to hear.”

Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Aban from Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Abdillah from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: “Pray with your family in (Month of) Ramadan the obligatory prayer, and the recommended (nafilah) prayer, for indeed I do so.”

From him, from his father, from Abdillah ibn al-Mughirah from al-Qasim ibn al-Walid who said: I asked Imam عليه السلام about a man praying with another man, while women are with them. Imam عليه السلام said: “The man stands beside the man, and the women stand behind them both.”

Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahbub from al-Abbas from Ibn al-Mughirah from Ghiyath from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, from his father عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam al-Baqir عليه السلام said: “One woman is a row, and two women are a row, and three are a row.” (meaning the row of women cannot conjoin with the row of men)

From him, from Muhammad ibn Abd al-Hamid from al-Hasan ibn al-Jahm from Ibn Muskan from al-Halabi from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: “A woman leads women in prayer and stands in the middle of them, and they stand on her right and her left. She leads them in the recommended (nafilah) prayer and does not lead them in the obligatory (maktoobah) prayer.”

Muhammad ibn Mas'ud from Abu al-Abbas ibn al-Mughirah who said: Al-Fadl ibn Shadhan narrated to us from Ibn Abi Umayr from Hammad from Hariz from Zurarah from Abu Ja’far عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: I asked Imam al-Baqir عليه السلام: “Does a woman lead women in prayer?” Imam عليه السلام said: “No, except over the deceased (Salat Al Mayyit), if there is no one more entitled than her. She stands in the middle with them in the (same) row, says the takbir, and they say the takbir.”

Al-Husayn from Fadalah from Hammad ibn Uthman from Ibrahim ibn Maymun from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him: Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام was asked regarding a man leading women in prayer, while there is no other man with them, in the obligatory prayer. Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes, and if there is a boy with him, then let him stand beside him.”

Al-Husayn ibn Sa’id from Fadalah from Ibn Sinan from Sulayman ibn Khalid who said: I asked Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, about a woman leading women in prayer. Imam عليه السلام said: “If they are all women, she may lead them in the recommended (nafilah) prayer. As for the obligatory (maktoobah) prayer, no. And she should not stand in front of them, but rather she should stand in the middle of them (in the same row).”

Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn Hadid from Jamil from Zurarah who said: I asked one of the two Imams عليه السلام, peace be upon them, about whether the imam (of prayer) bears responsibility for the prayer of the people. Imam عليه السلام said: “No.”

From him, from Hammad ibn Isa from Hariz from Zurarah and Muhammad ibn Muslim, who said: Abu Ja’far عليه السلام, peace be upon him, said: “The Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام, peace be upon him, used to say: ‘Whoever recites (Qur’an) behind an imam (of prayer) whom he follows, and then dies, he will be raised not upon the natural disposition (fitrah, meaning natural belief in oneness of God).’” (meaning reciting Qur’an behind an imam (of prayer) during congregational prayer is incorrect as a muqtadi (follower))

Ali ibn Ibrahim from his father from Ibn Abi Umayr from Hammad from al-Halabi from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام: Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام was asked regarding a blind man leading the people in prayer while not facing the qiblah. Imam عليه السلام said: “He must repeat the prayer, but they do not, for they made an effort to determine the direction.”

Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn Hadid from Jamil from Zurarah who said: I asked one of the two Imams عليه السلام, peace be upon them, about a man who led people in prayer for two rak‘ahs, then informed them that he was not in a state of wudu. Imam عليه السلام said: “The people should complete their prayer, for the imam (of prayer) bears no responsibility.”

Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahbub from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Muhammad ibn Yahya from Ghiyath from Sa’id ibn Muslim from al-Sha‘bi who said: Imam Ali عليه السلام, peace be upon him, said: “A blind man does not lead in prayer in the open land, and a shackled person does not lead those who are free.”

Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahbub from al-Qasim ibn Urwah from Ubayd ibn Zurarah from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: I asked Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام: “I enter the mosque having already prayed, so I pray with them but I do not count that prayer (as my obligation).” Imam عليه السلام said: “There is no problem. As for me, I pray with them and make it appear to them that I am prostrating, but I do not actually prostrate.”

From him, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from his father from Ibn al-Mughirah from Nasih the mu’adhdhin, who said: I said to Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him: “I pray at home and then go out to them (the opponents).” Imam عليه السلام said: “Consider it a supererogatory (nafilah) prayer, and do not pronounce the takbir with them (the opponents), for that would enter you into the prayer with them, for the key to the prayer is the takbir.”

Sahl ibn Ziyad from Muhammad ibn al-Walid from Yaqub from Abu Basir who said: I said to Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him: “I perform the prayer and then enter the mosque and the congregational prayer is established while I have already prayed.” Imam عليه السلام said: “Pray with them; Allah سبحانه وتعالى chooses the one He عز وجل loves more from the two.”

Al-Husayn ibn Saeed from Yaqub ibn Yaqtin who said: I said to Abu al-Hasan عليه السلام, peace be upon him: “May I be your ransom, the time for the noon prayer (Dhuhr) arrives, but we are not able to check the time until they (the public, meaning non-Shia) descend, so we descend with them and pray. Then they (the opponents) rise quickly and we rise and pray the afternoon prayer (Asr), but we make it appear to them as though we are bowing. Then later, they descend for the afternoon prayer (Asr) and they put us forward, so we lead them in prayer.” Imam عليه السلام said: “Lead them in prayer, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى not accept their prayer.”

From him, from al-Haytham ibn Waqid, from al-Hasan ibn Abdillah al-Arrajani, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: “Whoever prays in his house, then comes to one of their (opponent) mosques and prays in it, he departs with their good deeds.” (meaning to promote strategic use of taqiyyah to preserve life and faith)

Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Nasr from al-Mithami from Ishaq ibn Yazid who said: I said to Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him: “May I be your ransom, the imam (of prayer) precedes me by one rak‘ah, so I have one and he has two. Should I recite the tashahhud every time I sit?” Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes, indeed the tashahhud is a blessing.”

Muhammad ibn Yahya from Abdillah ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Aban ibn Uthman from Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Abdillah from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: “If the imam (of prayer) precedes you by one rak‘ah and you catch the final recitation, then you recite in the third rak‘ah of his prayer, and it is the second for you. But if you only catch one rak‘ah with him, then you recite in that one and in the one that follows it. And if he precedes you by one rak‘ah, you sit in what is the second for you and the third for him, until the rows become upright standing.” He (narrator) said “And Imam عليه السلام said: ‘If you find the imam (of prayer) in prostration, then remain in your place until he raises his head, and if he is sitting, then sit; and if he is standing, then stand.’”

Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Nu‘man from Ibn Muskan from Sulayman ibn Khalid who said: Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, said: “Regarding a man who catches the imam (of prayer) while he is in rukuh, and if he says the takbir (‘Allahu Akbar’) while his back is still upright, then bows before the imam (of prayer) raises his head, (then) he has caught the rak‘ah”.

From him, from Ali ibn al-Nu‘man from al-Husayn ibn Abi al-A‘la from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: I asked Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام: “I come to the imam (of prayer) and he has preceded me by one rak‘ah in the dawn prayer. When he gave the taslim, it occurred to my heart that I had completed the prayer, so I remained remembering Allah سبحانه وتعالى, Mighty and Majestic, until the sun rose. When it rose, I stood up and remembered that the imam (of prayer) had preceded me by one rak‘ah.” Imam عليه السلام said: “If you are still in your place, then complete the prayer with one rak‘ah; but if you have already left (the place of prayer), then you must repeat the prayer.”

From him, from al-Husayn ibn Saeed from Fadalah ibn Ayyub from al-Husayn ibn Uthman from Sama’ah from Abu Basir who said: I asked Imam عليه السلام about a man who prayed with a group while thinking it was the noon (Dhuhr) prayer, but it was actually the afternoon (Asr) prayer. Imam عليه السلام said: “Then let him count it as the noon (Dhuhr) prayer and let him perform the afternoon (Asr) prayer anew.”

From him, from Ali ibn Hadid from Jamil from Zurarah who said: I asked one of the two Imams عليه السلام, peace be upon them, about an imam (of prayer) who led a group in prayer, then remembered that he was not in a state of wudu. So he withdrew and took the hand of a man, brought him forward, and put him in front. But the one who was brought forward did not know what the group had already prayed. Imam عليه السلام said: “He should lead them in prayer, and if he makes a mistake, the group should say ‘SubhanAllah’ to alert him, and he continues based on the prayer of the one who was before him.”

From him, from al-Husayn ibn Saeed from Hammad ibn Isa from Muawiyah ibn Wahb who said: I saw Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, one day enter the ‘Sacred Mosque’ at the time of the afternoon (Asr) prayer. When Imam عليه السلام was still short of reaching the rows, they bowed, so Imam عليه السلام bowed alone and performed the two prostrations, then stood up and continued until Imam عليه السلام reached the rows.

From him, from Uthman ibn Isa from Saeed al-A‘raj who said: I asked Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, about a man who comes to the prayer and does not find a place in the row. Should he stand alone until he finishes his prayer? Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes, there is no problem, he may stand beside the imam (of prayer).”

Muhammad ibn Ismail from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan from Hammad ibn Isa from Rubi‘i from Muhammad ibn Muslim who said: I said to Imam عليه السلام: “(May) a man moves backward while in prayer?” Imam عليه السلام said: “No.” (meaning it is not allowed) I asked: “Then may he move forward?” Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes, walking toward the qiblah.”

Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yahya from Ahmad ibn al-Hasan from Amr ibn Saeed from Musaddiq ibn Sadaqah from Ammar al-Sabati from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: I asked Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام about a man who catches imam (of prayer) while he is sitting and reciting tashahhud, and there is no one behind him except a man on his right. Imam عليه السلام said: “The imam (of prayer) should not move forward, and the man should not move backward, but the one who enters to pray with him should sit behind the imam (of prayer). When the imam (of prayer) gives the salam, the man should stand and complete his prayer.”

Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahbub from Yaqub ibn Yazid from Marwak ibn Ubayd from Nashit ibn Salih from Abu al-Hasan al-Awwal عليه السلام (the First), peace be upon him, who said: I said to Imam al-Kadhim عليه السلام: “A man among us performs his prayer inside his house with the door closed, then he goes out and prays with his neighbors. Is his prayer alone in his house considered a congregational prayer?” Imam عليه السلام said: “The one who prays in his house, Allah سبحانه وتعالى multiplies it for him to twice the reward of congregation; he will have fifty degrees (of reward). And the one who prays with his neighbors, Allah سبحانه وتعالى writes for him the reward of one who prayed behind the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, may Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless him and his family. And if he joins them in their prayer, so he leaves his sins behind with them (the opponents), and departs with their good deeds.”

From him, from Ali ibn Khalid from Ahmad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Faddal from Amr ibn Saeed from Musaddiq ibn Sadaqah from Ammar al-Sabati who said: I asked Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, about a man who leads a group in prayer, and another group joins his prayer after he has already performed one rak‘ah or more than that. When he finishes his prayer, and gives the salam, is it permissible for him as the imam (of prayer) to leave his place (of prayer) before those who joined the prayer (later) have finished? Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes.”

Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Ismail ibn Abd al-Khaliq who said: I heard Imam عليه السلام say: “It is not proper for the imam (of prayer) to stand up after he has prayed, until everyone behind him has completed what they missed of the prayer.”

Ahmad from al-Husayn from al-Nadr from Hisham ibn Salim from Sulayman ibn Khalid from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: I asked Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام about a man who enters the mosque and begins the prayer. While he is standing and praying, the muezzin gives the call to prayer and establishes the congregational prayer. Imam عليه السلام said: “Then let him complete two rak‘ahs and begin the prayer anew with the imam (of prayer), and let the two rak‘ahs be counted as voluntary (nafl) prayer.”

Ahmad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ali from Amr ibn Saeed from Musaddiq ibn Sadaqah from Ammar who said: I asked Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, about a man who catches the imam (of prayer) while he is sitting after the two rak‘ahs. Imam عليه السلام said: “He should begin the prayer anew and should not sit with the imam (of prayer) until the imam (of prayer) stands.”

Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Hasan ibn Mahbub from Jamil from Sama’ah from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him: Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام was asked regarding a man whom the imam (of prayer) precedes by one rak‘ah, and the imam (of prayer) makes a mistake and prays five rak‘ahs. Imam عليه السلام said: “He should repeat that rak‘ah and should not consider the mistake of the imam (of prayer).”

Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahbub from Ali ibn al-Sindi from Safwan from Ishaq ibn Ammar from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: “It is proper for the imam (of prayer) that his prayer be according to the weakest among those behind him.” (meaning that the prayer leader keep the prayer of suitable length according to those following him)

From him, from al-Abbas from Abdillah ibn al-Mughirah from Ibn Sinan from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, who said: Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: “The Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, performed the noon (Dhuhr) and afternoon (Asr) prayers and shortened the prayer in the last two rak‘ahs. When Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم finished, the people said to Him صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم: ‘O Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, has something occurred in the prayer?’ Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said: “And what is that?” They said: “You shortened the last two rak‘ahs.” So Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said to them: “Did you not hear the cry of the child?’”

From him, from Ali ibn al-Sindi from Hammad ibn Isa from Muawiyah ibn Wahb who said: I asked Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, about a man who catches the end of the prayer of the imam (of prayer), while it is the beginning of the man's own prayer. And the imam (of prayer) does not give him time to recite, Should he make up the recitation at the end of his prayer? Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes”.

Al-Husayn ibn Saeed from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Khath'ami from Abd al-Rahim al-Qasir who said: I heard Abu Ja’far عليه السلام, peace be upon him, say: “If a man, whose background you do not know, leads the people in prayer and he recites the Quran, then do not recite (for yourselves), and count the prayer as valid.”

Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahbub from Muhammad ibn Ahmad from al-Amraki from Ali ibn Ja’far who said: (Ali ibn Ja’far said) “I asked Imam Musa ibn Ja’far عليه السلام, peace be upon them both, about standing behind the imam (of prayer) in the row, what is its limit?” Imam عليه السلام said: “Stand as much as you are able, and if you sit and the space becomes tight, then move forward or backward, there is no problem.”

From him, from Muhammad ibn Isa from Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Hashim from Salim Abu Khadijah from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: “If you are the imam (of prayer) of a group, then it is upon you to recite in the first two rak‘ahs, and upon those behind you to say: ‘SubhanAllah, wal-hamdu lillah, wa la ilaha illa Allah, wa Allahu Akbar’ while they are standing. Then, in the last two rak‘ahs, it is upon those behind you to recite the ‘Fatihat al-Kitab’ (Surah al-Fatihah), and upon the imam (of prayer) is the ‘tasbih’ in the same way that the people say in the last two rak‘ahs.”

From him, from Yaqub ibn Yazid from Ibn Abi Umayr from Ibn Muskan from Abu Basir who said: I said to Abu Ja’far عليه السلام, peace be upon him: “(When praying) behind someone I do not follow in prayer, what should I do?” Imam عليه السلام said: “Finish (your recitation) before he finishes, for you are in confinement (hisar). If he finishes before you, then cut off your recitation and bow with him.”

Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Sayf ibn Umayrah from Abu Bakr who said: Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, said: “When you lead a group in prayer, then sit for a short while after you give the taslim.”

And with this chain of transmission, from Abu Bakr who said: I said to Imam al-Sadiq عليه السلام: “I lead a group in prayer.” Imam عليه السلام said, “You give one taslim and do not turn your head. Say: ‘Peace be upon you, O’ Prophet, and the mercy of Allah سبحانه وتعالى and His blessings. Peace be upon you all.’ And do not recite anything from ‘Alif Lam Mim Ha Mim’ in the dawn (Fajr) prayer.” (meaning Huroof al-Muqatta'at that appear at the beginning of 29 Surahs of the Quran)

Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Faddal from al-Hasan ibn al-Jahm who said: I asked Imam al-Ridha عليه السلام, peace be upon him, about a man who leads a group in prayer in a narrow place and there is a curtain between him and them. Does it suffice for him to lead them in prayer? Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes.”