أَخْبَرَنَا سُوَيْدُ بْنُ نَصْرٍ قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَکِ عَنْ زَائِدَةَ بْنِ قُدَامَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا السَّائِبُ بْنُ حُبَيْشٍ الْکَلَاعِيُّ عَنْ مَعْدَانَ بْنِ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ الْيَعْمُرِيِّ قَالَ قَالَ لِي أَبُو الدَّرْدَائِ أَيْنَ مَسْکَنُکَ قُلْتُ فِي قَرْيَةٍ دُوَيْنَ حِمْصَ فَقَالَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَائِ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ مَا مِنْ ثَلَاثَةٍ فِي قَرْيَةٍ وَلَا بَدْوٍ لَا تُقَامُ فِيهِمْ الصَّلَاةُ إِلَّا قَدْ اسْتَحْوَذَ عَلَيْهِمْ الشَّيْطَانُ فَعَلَيْکُمْ بِالْجَمَاعَةِ فَإِنَّمَا يَأْکُلُ الذِّئْبُ الْقَاصِيَةَ قَالَ السَّائِبُ يَعْنِي بِالْجَمَاعَةِ الْجَمَاعَةَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ
سنن نسائی · Hadith 851
It was narrated that Ma’dan bin Abi Talhah Al-Ya’muri said: “Abu Ad-Darda’ said to me: ‘Where do you live?’ I said: ‘In a town near Hims.’ Abu Ad-Darda’ said: ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم say: “There are no three people in a town or encampment among whom prayer is not established, but the Shaan takes control of them. Therefore, stick to the congregation, for the wolf eats the sheep that strays off on its own.” (One of the narrators (As Sa’ib) said: “The congregation means the congregational prayer.” (Sahih)
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020