Question:

Assalamu alaikum.A companion(Allah be pleased with him)asked Ibn Masood(Allah be pleased with him)that people in his town prays Jamaath not at its fixed time but delays it.So he prays alone at the fixed time and not with the Jamaath.So is he doing the right thing?Ibn Masood(Allah be pleased with him)told him he was doing the right thing.Even if he is only one person he is the Jamaath and the people who pray in Jamaath not in its fixed time is not the Jamaath.Jamaath means the one who is on truth even if he is only one person.So does that mean Jamaath is not necessarily used as plural but also as singular?Does the word Jamaath also mean one who is on Truth?Thank you.

Fatwa:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The Prophetic narration which you pointed to in the question is reported in history and biography books, and narrated by ‘Amr ibn Maymoon Al-Awdi who was from the generation which followed the companions, may Allah be pleased with him.

He, heard ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood , may Allah be pleased with him, saying: “Stick to the Jamaa’ah (the group) as Allah supports the Jamaa’ah...”, and he was encouraging people to stick to the group and be united.

Once, he [‘Amr] was in company with Ibn Mas’ood , may Allah be pleased with him, and heard him say: “You will be ruled by rulers who will delay the performance of the prayer from its prescribed fixed time. Therefore, you should perform the prayer at its prescribed fixed time as this is a religious obligation, and then pray with them, and your prayer (with them) will be considered for you as a supererogatory prayer.” Then, he may Allah be pleased with him, mentioned the following at the end of his statement: “The Jamaa’ah is what confirms the truth even if you were alone.”

What ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood , may Allah be pleased with him, meant is that whoever is upon the truth which is legislated in religion, he is with the first Jamaa’ah, which is that of the Prophet , may Allah be pleased with him, and his noble companions, may Allah be pleased with him. Therefore, the group of ignorant people who contradict the truth and do not follow it should not be taken into account. Corruption may spread among people and moral standards may change, and their Jamaa’ah may be following falsehood. Therefore, one should go back to the correct and firm concept of the meaning of Jamaa’ah, who are the first generation who received the revelation from the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with him. Hence, the meaning of the Jamaa’ah does not mean that if a person performs the prayer alone, he has performed the congregational prayer, because the congregational prayer is achieved by two persons or more. Rather, what he , may Allah be pleased with him, meant is that if he had prayed on time and did not delay it, he is in conformity with the truth upon which the Muslim community is upon. 

Allah Knows best.

Fatwa answered by: The Fatwa Center at Islamweb