<b>Guidance from the Hadith:</b><br> 1) It enjoins us to develop unity and harmony and avoid disunity and dissension. Indeed, straying from the group leads to ruin.<br> 2) The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) likened a person who departs from the group to a sheep that strays away from the flock, which leads to it being eaten by the wolf. So, a Muslim is advised to stick to the right course and not swerve from the way of Ahl-us-Sunnah Wa al-Jamā‘ah.<br> 3) Satan can only overcome those disunited by personal inclinations. He has no power over those united in guidance.<br> <br> <b>Benefit:</b><br> In Fat'h al-Bāri Sharh Sahih al-Bukhāri, Al-Hāfiz Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalāni mentioned a valuable study on the benefits of congregational prayer and the wisdom behind the multiplication of rewards for it. Here is a summary of what he said: “The first of them is repeating after the Muezzin, going to prayer early, walking to the mosque in tranquility, entering the mosque in supplication, praying the 'greeting of the mosque' prayer, waiting for congregational prayer, benefiting from the invocation of the angels and their asking for forgiveness for him and their testimony in his favor, repeating after the Iqāmah, being safe from Satan as the latter runs away upon hearing the Iqāmah, standing to wait for Ihrām (the opening Takbir in prayer), saying the Takbir of Ihrām, straightening the rows and closing their gaps, getting the answer to the phrase ‘Allah hears he who praises Him’, being mostly safe from forgetfulness, achieving focus of mind, improving appearance, being celebrated by the angels, training to recite the Qur’an in a proper and measured way, learning the pillars, showing the rituals of Islam, defeating Satan by gathering in worship, safety from being described as a hypocrite, returning the Imām’s greeting of peace, benefiting from the gathering as the perfect (prayer) gives blessing to the deficient (prayer), and the development of harmony among neighbors as they meet each other at the times of prayer and as after each other. These are 25 traits and benefits. Two benefits remain in relation to audible prayers, namely listening to the Imām’s recitation and saying ‘amen’ along with him. And Allah knows best.”