Congregational Prayer and Its Virtue
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 1|Book 1|Chapter 57
وَ رَوَى عَنْهُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ زَيْدٌ اَلشَّحَّامُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «يَا زَيْدُ خَالِقُوا اَلنَّاسَ بِأَخْلاَقِهِمْ صَلُّوا فِي مَسَاجِدِهِمْ وَ عُودُوا مَرْضَاهُمْ وَ اِشْهَدُوا جَنَائِزَهُمْ وَ إِنِ اِسْتَطَعْتُمْ أَنْ تَكُونُوا اَلْأَئِمَّةَ وَ اَلْمُؤَذِّنِينَ فَافْعَلُوا فَإِنَّكُمْ إِذَا فَعَلْتُمْ ذَلِكَ قَالُوا هَؤُلاَءِ اَلْجَعْفَرِيَّةُ رَحِمَ اَللَّهُ جَعْفَراً مَا كَانَ أَحْسَنَ مَا يُؤَدِّبُ أَصْحَابَهُ وَ إِذَا تَرَكْتُمْ ذَلِكَ قَالُوا هَؤُلاَءِ اَلْجَعْفَرِيَّةُ فَعَلَ اَللَّهُ بِجَعْفَرٍ مَا كَانَ أَسْوَأَ مَا يُؤَدِّبُ أَصْحَابَهُ.
It is narrated from Zayd al-Shahham that He said: Imam Ja'far Al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: "O’ Zayd, interact with the people through good character. Pray in their mosques, visit their sick, and attend their funerals. If you can, be the Imams and callers to prayer (mu'adhdhins), then do so. For if you do this, they will say, 'These are the Ja'fariyyah; may Allah سبحانه وتعالى have mercy on Ja'far, how well he trained his companions!' But if you do otherwise, they will say, 'These are the Ja'fariyyah; may Allah سبحانه وتعالى do with Ja'far as he deserves for how badly he trained his companions!'"
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh