The Sufficient (Vol 3) · Hadith 1433 (#Ḥadīth #6)

6ـ حَمَّادٌ عَنْ حَرِيزٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ وَالْفُضَيْلِ قَالاَ قُلْنَا لَهُ الصَّلَوَاتُ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ فَرِيضَةٌ هِيَ فَقَالَ الصَّلَوَاتُ فَرِيضَةٌ وَلَيْسَ الاجْتِمَاعُ بِمَفْرُوضٍ فِي الصَّلاَةِ كُلِّهَا وَلَكِنَّهَا سُنَّةٌ وَمَنْ تَرَكَهَا رَغْبَةً عَنْهَا وَعَنْ جَمَاعَةِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ غَيْرِ عِلَّةٍ فَلاَ صَلاَةَ لَهُ.

6. Hammad has narrated from Hariz from Zurarah and al-Fudayl who have said the following: “We once asked him (the Imam), ‘Is Salah (prayer) in congregation obligatory?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Salah (prayer) is obligatory but congregating for it in general is not obligatory; however, it is of the Sunnah. Whoever omits it in disregard and in disregard of the group of believers without good reason, his Salah (prayer) is nothing of value.’”

Gradings are classical jarḥ-wa-taʿdīl, name-matched to a rijāl index (not individually re-verified).