“If I heard a Hadith from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Allah benefitted me with it as much as He willed, and if I heard it from anyone else, I would ask him to swear me an oath, then if he swore an oath I would believe him. Abu Bakr told me and Abu Bakr spoke the truth that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘There is no man who commits a sin then he performs ablution and does it well, then he prays two Rak’ah,’ (one of the narrators) Mis’ar said: ‘then performs prayer and seeks the forgiveness of Allah, but Allah will forgive him.’  

سَمِعْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَدِيثًا يَنْفَعُنِي اللَّهُ بِمَا شَاءَ مِنْهُ وَإِذَا حَدَّثَنِي عَنْهُ غَيْرُهُ اسْتَحْلَفْتُهُ فَإِذَا حَلَفَ صَدَّقْتُهُ وَإِنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ حَدَّثَنِي وَصَدَقَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَا مِنْ رَجُلٍ يُذْنِبُ ذَنْبًا فَيَتَوَضَّأُ فَيُحْسِنُ الْوُضُوءَ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَقَالَ مِسْعَرٌ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي وَيَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ إِلاَّ غَفَرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ  

“O Abu Ayyub, we have missed out on Jihad this year, and we were told that whoever prays in the four mosques will be forgiven his sins.” He said: “O son of my brother, shall I not tell you of something easier than that? I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘Whoever performs ablution as he has been commanded, and prays as he has been commanded, will be forgiven his previous (bad) deeds.’” He said: “(Did he not say it) like that, O ‘Uqbah?” He said: “Yes.”  

عَاصِمٌ يَا أَبَا أَيُّوبَ فَاتَنَا الْغَزْوُ الْعَامَ وَقَدْ أُخْبِرْنَا أَنَّهُ مَنْ صَلَّى فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ الأَرْبَعَةِ غُفِرَ لَهُ ذَنْبُهُ فَقَالَ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى أَيْسَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَنْ تَوَضَّأَ كَمَا أُمِرَ وَصَلَّى كَمَا أُمِرَ غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا قَدَّمَ مِنْ عَمَلٍ أَكَذَلِكَ يَا عُقْبَةُ قَالَ نَعَمْ  

“I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘Do you think that if there was a river in the courtyard of anyone of you, and he bathed in it five times each day, would there be any dirt left on him?’ They said: ‘(There would be) nothing.’ He said: ‘Prayer takes away sins like water takes away dirt.’”  

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ أَرَأَيْتَ لَوْ كَانَ بِفِنَاءِ أَحَدِكُمْ نَهْرٌ يَجْرِي يَغْتَسِلُ فِيهِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ خَمْسَ مَرَّاتٍ مَا كَانَ يَبْقَى مِنْ دَرَنِهِ قَالَ لاَ شَىْءَ قَالَ فَإِنَّ الصَّلاَةَ تُذْهِبُ الذُّنُوبَ كَمَا يُذْهِبُ الْمَاءُ الدَّرَنَ  

“And perform the prayer, at the two ends of the day and in some hours of the night. Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds. That is a reminder for the mindful.” [11:114] He said: “O Messenger of Allah, is this only for me?” He said: “It is for everyone who acts upon it.”  

أَنَّ رَجُلاً أَصَابَ مِنِ امْرَأَةٍ يَعْنِي مَا دُونَ الْفَاحِشَةِ فَلاَ أَدْرِي مَا بَلَغَ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ دُونَ الزِّنَا فَأَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَذَكَرَ ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ {أَقِمِ الصَّلاَةَ طَرَفَىِ النَّهَارِ وَزُلَفًا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ ذَلِكَ ذِكْرَى لِلذَّاكِرِينَ} فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَلِي هَذِهِ قَالَ لِمَنْ أَخَذَ بِهَا