Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.

ذِكْرُ الْبَيَانِ بِأَنَّ هَاتَيْنِ الصَّلَاتَيْنِ أَثْقَلُ الصَّلَاةِ عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ

ibnhibban:2098ʿUmar b. Muḥammad al-Hamdānī > Salm b. Junādah > Abū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash > Abū Ṣāliḥ > Abū Hurayrah

The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are the night prayer and the morning prayer. If they were to know the blessings they have in store, they would have come to them, even though crawling, and I thought that I should order the prayer to be commenced and command a person to lead people in prayer, and I should then go along with some persons having a fagot of fuel with them to the people who have not attended the prayer (in congregation) and would burn their houses with fire. (Using translation from Muslim 651b)  

ابن حبّان:٢٠٩٨أَخْبَرَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا سَلْمُ بْنُ جُنَادَةَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «إِنَّ أَثْقَلَ الصَّلَاةِ عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ صَلَاةُ الْعِشَاءِ وَصَلَاةُ الْفَجْرِ وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِيهَا لَأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا وَلَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ آمُرَ بِالصَّلَاةِ فَتُقَامَ ثُمَّ آمُرَ رَجُلًا فَيُصَلِّيَ بِالنَّاسِ ثُمَّ أَنْطَلِقَ مَعِي بِرِجَالٍ مَعَهُمْ حِزَمُ حَطَبٍ إِلَى قَوْمٍ لَا يَشْهَدُونَ الصَّلَاةَ فَأُحَرِّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ بُيُوتَهُمْ بِالنَّارِ»  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Abū Dāwūd, Ibn Mājah, Aḥmad, Dārimī, Bayhaqī, Suyūṭī
bukhari:657ʿUmar b. Ḥafṣ from my father > al-Aʿmash > Abū Ṣāliḥ > Abū Hurayrah

The Prophet ﷺ said, "No prayer is heavier upon the hypocrites than the Fajr and the ʿIsha' prayers and if they knew what is in them (in reward), they would have attended them, even if (it was) crawling. Certainly, I felt the urge to order the Mu'adh-dhin (call-maker) so that he would pronounce Iqama, then order a man to lead the people (in prayer), then take a flame of fire so that I burn (the houses) upon those who had not left for the prayer yet."  

البخاري:٦٥٧حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ حَفْصٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو صَالِحٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لَيْسَ صَلاَةٌ أَثْقَلَ عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ وَالْعِشَاءِ وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِيهِمَا لأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا لَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ آمُرَ الْمُؤَذِّنَ فَيُقِيمَ ثُمَّ آمُرَ رَجُلاً يَؤُمُّ النَّاسَ ثُمَّ آخُذَ شُعَلاً مِنْ نَارٍ فَأُحَرِّقَ عَلَى مَنْ لاَ يَخْرُجُ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ بَعْدُ  

muslim:651b[Chain 1] Ibn Numayr from my father > al-Aʿmash [Chain 2] Abū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah And ʾAbū Kurayb Wa-al-Lafẓ Lahumā > Abū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash > Abū Ṣāliḥ > Abū Hurayrah

The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are the night prayer and the morning prayer. If they were to know the blessings they have in store, they would have come to them, even though crawling, and I thought that I should order the prayer to be commenced and command a person to lead people in prayer, and I should then go along with some persons having a fagot of fuel with them to the people who have not attended the prayer (in congregation) and would burn their houses with fire.  

مسلم:٦٥١bحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُمَا قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ أَثْقَلَ صَلاَةٍ عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ صَلاَةُ الْعِشَاءِ وَصَلاَةُ الْفَجْرِ وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِيهِمَا لأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا وَلَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ آمُرَ بِالصَّلاَةِ فَتُقَامَ ثُمَّ آمُرَ رَجُلاً فَيُصَلِّيَ بِالنَّاسِ ثُمَّ أَنْطَلِقَ مَعِي بِرِجَالٍ مَعَهُمْ حُزَمٌ مِنْ حَطَبٍ إِلَى قَوْمٍ لاَ يَشْهَدُونَ الصَّلاَةَ فَأُحَرِّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ بُيُوتَهُمْ بِالنَّارِ  

abudawud:548ʿUthmān b. Abū Shaybah > Abū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash > Abū Ṣāliḥ > Abū Hurayrah

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying; I thought to give orders for arranging prayer in congregation, and then to have the Iqamah called for it, then to order a man to lead the people in prayer, then to go off in company of the people who have bundles of firewood to those people who are not present at the prayer and then to burn down their houses with fire.  

أبو داود:٥٤٨حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ آمُرَ بِالصَّلاَةِ فَتُقَامَ ثُمَّ آمُرَ رَجُلاً فَيُصَلِّيَ بِالنَّاسِ ثُمَّ أَنْطَلِقَ مَعِي بِرِجَالٍ مَعَهُمْ حُزَمٌ مِنْ حَطَبٍ إِلَى قَوْمٍ لاَ يَشْهَدُونَ الصَّلاَةَ فَأُحَرِّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ بُيُوتَهُمْ بِالنَّارِ  

ibnmajah:791Abū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah > Abū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash > Abū Ṣāliḥ > Abū Hurayrah

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'I was thinking of commanding that the call to prayer be given, then I would tell a man to lead the people in prayer, then I would go out with some other men carrying bundles of wood, and go to people who do not attend the prayer, and burn their houses down around them.'"  

ابن ماجة:٧٩١حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ آمُرَ بِالصَّلاَةِ فَتُقَامَ ثُمَّ آمُرَ رَجُلاً فَيُصَلِّيَ بِالنَّاسِ ثُمَّ أَنْطَلِقَ بِرِجَالٍ مَعَهُمْ حُزَمٌ مِنْ حَطَبٍ إِلَى قَوْمٍ لاَ يَشْهَدُونَ الصَّلاَةَ فَأُحَرِّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ بُيُوتَهُمْ بِالنَّارِ  

ahmad:9486Abū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash And Ibn Numayr > al-Aʿmash > Abū Ṣāliḥ > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The heaviest prayers on the hypocrites are the evening prayer and the dawn prayer. If they knew what is in them, they would certainly come to them, even if they had to crawl. I had the intention to order the mu'adhdhin to pronounce the adhan (call to prayer) and then order a man to lead the people in prayer. Then, I would go with a group of men carrying bundles of firewood to a people who do not attend the prayer, and I would burn their houses down with fire."  

أحمد:٩٤٨٦حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ وَابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَثْقَلُ الصَّلَاةِ عَلَىالْمُنَافِقِينَ صَلَاةُ الْعِشَاءِ وَصَلَاةُ الْفَجْرِ وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِيهِمَا لَأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا وَلَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ آمُرَ الْمُؤَذِّنَ فَيُؤَذِّنَ ثُمَّ آمُرَ رَجُلًا يُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ ثُمَّ أَنْطَلِقَ مَعِي بِرِجَالٍ مَعَهُمْ حُزُمُ الْحَطَبِ إِلَى قَوْمٍ يَتَخَلَّفُونَ عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ فَأُحَرِّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ بُيُوتَهُمْ بِالنَّارِ  

ahmad:10877Abū Saʿīd > Zāʾidah > al-Aʿmash > Abū Ṣāliḥ > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , said: "The heaviest prayers on the hypocrites are the night prayer and the Fajr prayer. If they knew what there is in these prayers, they would attend them even if they had to crawl. If one of you knew that he would find a fat sheep or two good-sized camels, he would come to them. I have thought of ordering the prayer to be established, and then to order a man to lead the people in prayer, and then to take a fire torch and burn down the houses of those who did not attend the prayer." This was narrated by Abu Muawiya and Ibn Numayr, and this is the full text.  

أحمد:١٠٨٧٧حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا زَائِدَةُ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّ أَثْقَلَ الصَّلَاةِ عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ صَلَاةُ الْعِشَاءِ الْآخِرَةِ وَصَلَاةُ الْفَجْرِ وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِيهِمَا لَأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا وَلَوْ عَلِمَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنَّهُ إِذَا وَجَدَ عَرْقًا مِنْ شَاةٍ سَمِينَةٍ أَوْ مِرْمَاتَيْنِ حَسَنَتَيْنِ لَأَتَيْتُمُوهَا أَجْمَعِينَ لَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ آمُرَ بِالصَّلَاةِ فَتُقَامَ ثُمَّ آمُرَ رَجُلًا يُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ ثُمَّ آخُذَ حُزَمًا مِنْ حَطَبٍ فَآتِيَ الَّذِينَ تَخَلَّفُوا عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ فَأُحَرِّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ بُيُوتَهُمْ وَحَدَّثَنَاهُ أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ وَابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ وَهَذَا أَتَمُّ  

darimi:1310Abū ʿĀṣim > Ibn ʿAjlān from his father > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "I had the intention to command my young men to gather firewood, then command a man to lead the people in prayer. After that, I would differ to a group of people who have been lagging behind in performing this prayer. I would then set their homes on fire, even if they were thickened date-palm or al-murr trees. They would definitely come to witness it, and even if they knew what was inside, they would still come, even if they had to crawl."  

الدارمي:١٣١٠أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَاصِمٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَجْلَانَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «لَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ آمُرَ فِتْيَانِي فَيَجْمَعُوا حَطَبًا فَآمُرَ رَجُلًا يُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ ثُمَّ أُخَالِفَ إِلَى أَقْوَامٍ يَتَخَلَّفُونَ عَنْ هَذِهِ الصَّلَاةِ فَأُحَرِّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ بُيُوتَهُمْ لَوْ كَانَ عَرْقًا سَمِينًا أَوْ مُعَرَّقَيَنِ لَشَهِدُوهُمَا وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِيهِمَا لَأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا»  

bayhaqi:4931[Chain 1] Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥāfiẓ And Muḥammad b. Mūsá b. al-Faḍl And Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Muḥammad b. Majbūr Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥman al-Dahhān > Abū al-ʿAbbās Muḥammad b. Yaʿqūb > Aḥmad b. ʿAbd al-Jabbār [Chain 2] Abū al-Ḥusayn b. Bishrān> Abū Jaʿfar al-Razzāz > Aḥmad b. ʿAbd al-Jabbār > Abū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash > Abū Ṣāliḥ > Abū Hurayrah

The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are the night prayer and the morning prayer. If they were to know the blessings they have in store, they would have come to them, even though crawling, and I thought that I should order the prayer to be commenced and command a person to lead people in prayer, and I should then go along with some persons having a fagot of fuel with them to the people who have not attended the prayer (in congregation) and would burn their houses with fire. (Using translation from Muslim 651b)   

البيهقي:٤٩٣١أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُوسَى بْنِ الْفَضْلِ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مَجْبُورٍ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الدَّهَّانُ قَالُوا ثنا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ ح وَأَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ بْنُ بِشْرَانَ بِبَغْدَادَ أنبأ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ الرَّزَّازُ ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ ثنا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّ أَثْقَلَ الصَّلَاةِ عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ صَلَاةُ الْعِشَاءِ وَصَلَاةُ الْفَجْرِ وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِيهِمَا لَأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا وَلَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ آمُرَ بِالصَّلَاةِ فَتُقَامَ ثُمَّ آمُرَ رَجُلًا فَيُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ ثُمَّ أَنْطَلِقَ مَعِي بِرِجَالٍ مَعَهُمْ حُزَمُ الْحَطَبِ ثُمَّ أُخَالِفَ إِلَى قَوْمٍ لَا يَشْهَدُونَ الصَّلَاةَ فَأُحَرِّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ بُيُوتَهُمْ بِالنَّارِ  

رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَغَيْرِهِ عَنْ أَبِي مُعَاوِيَةَ وَأَخْرَجَهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ حَفْصِ بْنِ غِيَاثٍ عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ
suyuti:503a

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying; I thought to give orders for arranging prayer in congregation, and then to have the Iqamah called for it, then to order a man to lead the people in prayer, then to go off in company of the people who have bundles of firewood to those people who are not present at the prayer and then to burn down their houses with fire. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 548)   

السيوطي:٥٠٣a

"أثقلُ الصلاة على المنافقين: صلاةُ العِشاءِ، وصلاةُ الفجرِ، ولو يعلمون ما فيهما لأتوهما ولو حبوًا، ولقد هممت أن آمُر بالصلاةِ فتقامَ، ثم آمُرَ رجلًا فَيُصلِّىَ بالناس، ثمَّ أنطلق معى برجال معهم حزمٌ من حطب إلى قومٍ لا يشهدون الصلاة فأَحرِّقَ عليهمِ بيوتهم بالنارِ".  

[حم] أحمد [ش] ابن أبى شيبة [م] مسلم [د] أبو داود [هـ] ابن ماجة عن أبي هريرة