Importance of Salaah with jamaat

Giving preference to performing salaah with jamaat in the Musjid

Q: I received a message wherein the following Hadith of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was mentioned:

Hazrat Anas bin Maalik (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “If food is served and the Iqaamah for salaah is given, then start with the food.”

The question that I wish to ask is that if one is at home and partaking of meals or one is at a function (e.g. waleemah or a braai etc.) and the food is being served, and the jamaat salaah in the musjid is about to commence, then what should a person do? Should one give preference to partaking of the food or should one attend the jamaat salaah in the musjid, as we have understood from this hadith that one should give preference to the food?

Duty to the musjid

Q: In my locality there was an AGM meeting held which I attended. It was at the madrasah building which is the yard of our musjid. The meeting ended at 8:15 pm just before the Azaan was called. Esha namaaz jamaat was at 8:30pm. Five minutes before namaaz jamaat in the musjid, the brothers decided to read their own jamaat and not join the jamaat namaaz in the musjid. Even perchance if this type of meeting had to continue after Azaan was given, I thought the better place to read namaaz is in the musjid which I did. I also thought that being people in the effort of Deen if someone had to see us reading namaaz separately from the main jamaat in the musjid, it would create confusion or if we had to continue the meeting and read a separate namaaz later, this would also create confusion. In Deen, we have to always look at rewards to motivate us and the Sunnat. I believe we have to instill in our children and people the importance of jamaat namaaz in musjid.

I have seen in the month of Ramadaan, there are some areas if the venue is walking distance to musjid, they first read their Esha in musjid, then move to the venue even if this delays their taraaweeh time, and I also see in Darul Ulooms and Madrasahs that are in or near proximity to the MUSJID, they stop their classes and take time of to make the students read their namaaz with jamaat in the musjid then continue with class. I am sure, to stop students from class and move them to the musjid is abit time consuming.

My question:

1. What is the reward of the reading namaaz in the musjid with jamaat and in a bigger congregation?

2. Is there any disrespect caused when reading another jamaat in the same yard as the musjid after Azaan or few minutes before the Azaan is called except if you a Musaafir (traveller) or urgelty need to set out for a journey or any dire necessities?

3. If the madrasah students who's madrasah is situated in the same yard of the musjid, observe smaller jamaat separately and not in the musjid, what will be the harm of the tarbiyat of those children?

4. How can I help rectify this in my community as it is really disturbing me?

Covid positive person attending the musjid

Q:

1. If one is diagnosed with Covid, should he isolate and read his salaah at home, or should he go to the masjid if he is affected mildly (i.e. body strength, very light cough, and fever, minor difficulty in breathing, etc.)?

2. If a person who is Covid positive and goes to the masjid and the other musallis are aware that he is positive, will he then be sinful for inconveniencing Muslim brothers as unfortunately not everyone is comfortable being around the sick these days?

Forgoing Salaah with Jamaat in the Musjid due to not possessing good clothes

Q: I am a teenager. I fullfil my daily salah with jammat but now I can't go to the musjid because I have no more clothes. I have only old clothes which is not in that condition to go musjid with wearing them. I suffered some financial crisis also I am a teenager so my clothes are unusable very fast as I grow but nowadays I am fullfiling my salaah at home. I know this is not the way of the prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) but when I get clothes, I will rejoin musjid insha Allah. I am also very poor. Making clothes only in eid or some events, so this is only problem of some months, so what should I do?

University student delaying salaah

Q: I have a few questions;

1. I’m a student at a university in Saudi Arabia. I sometimes have lectures from 3pm- 4pm, when asr time is around 3:20pm. The Muslims around me don’t get up and perform their salah when the prayer is called, they make it up after the lecture is over. So I wanted to ask, is it permissible to not attend to salaah because you are in a lecture hall while the teacher is teaching? I was very confused because I didn’t know whether I was just being overly attentive to my salah times and stressing over how to manage my classes timings and the salaah timings, or whether it’s essential for us Muslims to attend to our salaah immediately and a lecture is no excuse.

2. Sometimes I am eating, and the azaan is called, what should I do in that case? Should I stop eating and pray, then come back and finish my food? Or should I finish my food and then go pray?