حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُونُسَ حَدَّثَنَا زَائِدَةُ حَدَّثَنَا السَّائِبُ بْنُ حُبَيْشٍ عَنْ مَعْدَانَ بْنِ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ الْيَعْمُرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي الدَّرْدَائِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ مَا مِنْ ثَلَاثَةٍ فِي قَرْيَةٍ وَلَا بَدْوٍ لَا تُقَامُ فِيهِمْ الصَّلَاةُ إِلَّا قَدْ اسْتَحْوَذَ عَلَيْهِمْ الشَّيْطَانُ فَعَلَيْکَ بِالْجَمَاعَةِ فَإِنَّمَا يَأْکُلُ الذِّئْبُ الْقَاصِيَةَ قَالَ زَائِدَةُ قَالَ السَّائِبُ يَعْنِي بِالْجَمَاعَةِ الصَّلَاةَ فِي الْجَمَاعَةِ
سنن ابودوٗد · Hadith 547
Narrated Abud Darda: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: If there are three men in a village or in the desert among whom prayer is not offered (in congregation), the devil has got the mastery over them. So observe (prayer) in congregation), for the wolf eats only the straggling animal. Saib said: By the word Jama'ah he meant saying prayer in company or in congregation.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020