Under this chapter, the following sub-chapters and hadiths have been mentioned.

‘Ubada bin Nasi says: In Syria, there was a man named Ma‘dan, and Sayyiduna Abu Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) used to teach him the Qur’an. Sayyiduna Abu Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) found him missing. Then one day, when he met him at the place of Dabiq, he said:“Ma‘dan! What happened to the Qur’an that you had? How is your relationship with the Qur’an these days?”He replied:“Allah Almighty taught it to me, and taught it well.”Sayyiduna Abu Darda’ asked:“Ma‘dan! Do you live in the city these days or in a village?”Ma‘dan replied:“No, I reside in a village, which is near the city.”And in another narration:“I am in such villages that are near the city of Hims.”Sayyiduna Abu Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) said:“Leave it, woe to you, Ma‘dan! I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: ‘Where there are five houses and neither the call to prayer is given nor the prayer is established among them, Satan prevails over them, and (you should remember that) the wolf devours the sheep that stays apart. Therefore, it is obligatory for you to live in the cities. O Ma‘dan! Woe to you!’”

This narration is reported with another chain as follows: They say: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: In any settlement where three people reside and neither the call to prayer is given nor the prayer is established, Satan prevails over them. Therefore, congregation is obligatory upon you, for the wolf only eats the sheep that stays away from the flock. Ibn Mahdi said that Sa’ib believes that by“congregation is obligatory upon you,”what is meant is prayer in congregation.