Congregational Prayer
The prayers which Baha'u'llah has ordained as a daily obligation for Baha'is are to be said privately. Only in the case of the Prayer for the Dead has Baha'u'llah commanded congregational prayer, and the only requirement is that the believer who reads it aloud, and all others present, should stand. This differs from the Islamic practice of congregational prayer in which the believers stand in rows behind an imam, who leads the prayer, which is prohibited in the Baha'i Faith. (63:5)

These ordinances, which are in accordance with Baha'u'llah's abolition of professional clergy, do not mean that He attached no value to meetings for worship. Regarding the value of gathering for prayer, 'Abdu'l-Baha spoke as follows: (63:6)

Man may say: "I can pray to God whenever I wish, when the feelings of my heart are drawn to God; when I am in the wilderness, when I am in the city, or wherever I may be. Why should I go where others are gathered upon a special day, at a certain hour, to unite my prayers with theirs, when I may not be in a frame of mind for praying?" (63:7)

To think in this way is useless imagination, for where many are gathered together their force is greater. Separate soldiers fighting alone and individually have not the force of a united army. If all the soldiers in this spiritual war gather together, then their united spiritual feelings help each other, and their prayers become acceptable. (from notes taken by Miss Ethel J. Rosenberg). (63:8)

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