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Can supererogatory prayers be performed in congregation?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

There is no disagreement among jurists regarding the legitimacy of congregational prayer for Tarawih and Witr during Ramadan, as well as for the Eid prayers, the eclipse prayer (Salat al-Kusuf), and the prayer for rain (Salat al-Istisqa). Congregational prayer is permissible for supererogatory prayers according to the majority of jurists, as it has been authentically reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed both individually and in congregation. Ibn Hazm was of the opinion that congregational prayer is commendable for all voluntary prayers. However, Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah held that performing supererogatory prayers in congregation is not disliked unless it is made a regular Sunnah. So, if a person occasionally performs the night vigil (Qiyam al-Layl) or absolute voluntary prayers in congregation without making it a habit, then it is good. As for the voluntary prayers that are dependent on (following) obligatory prayers or are restricted by a specific reason, it is preferable to perform them individually.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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