indicates that establishing a congregation for Sal?t is an obligation. (1)

It is worth saying here, that the obligation of attending the congregational Sal?t does not entail that the Sal?t done individually is not correct for in the latter case a muslim would get only one reward. It is perfectly natural that performing that which is obligatory, one would get double rewards more than that which is not. (2)

Regarding this point, Ibn Al-Qayyim said: ‘For an act being prefered over another does not entail [that doing what is less superior] frees one’s liability [from doing that which is more superior] completely, whether this is general or specified for preference could be made between two things one of which is totally the opposite of the other; for example, All?h ( - عز وجل -) says:

[ أصحاب الجنة يومئذ خير مستقراً وأحسن مقيلاً]

‘ The dwellers of Paradise will, on that Day, have the best abode, and have the fairest of places for repose’. (3) [compared to the dwellers of Hell]. And he ( - عز وجل -) also says: [ قل أذلك خير أم جنة الخلد]

‘ Say (O Muhammad ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -)) ‘ Is that (torment) better or the Paradise of Eternity?’, (4) and many other similar verses.

Accordingly, the one out of twenty seven reward granted to the one who does his Sal?t individually does not entail that establishing a congregation is not an obligation or that it is only recommendable. This single reward only means that one is free from liability though it is much less in superiority. The like of this is like two men doing Sal?t in the same row but one’s Sal?t is much more superior than the other’. (5)