8. Book of Virtues
٨۔ كتاب الفضائل
Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The prayer in congregation is twenty seven times superior to the prayer offered by person alone."
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ صَلاَةُ الْجَمَاعَةِ تَفْضُلُ صَلاَةَ الْفَذِّ بِسَبْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ دَرَجَةً
The Prophet ﷺ said, "The prayer offered in congregation is twenty five times more superior (in reward) to the prayer offered alone in one's house or in a business center, because if one performs ablution and does it perfectly, and then proceeds to the mosque with the sole intention of praying, then for each step which he takes towards the mosque, Allah upgrades him a degree in reward and (forgives) crosses out one sin till he enters the mosque. When he enters the mosque he is considered in prayer as long as he is waiting for the prayer and the angels keep on asking for Allah's forgiveness for him and they keep on saying: 'O Allah! Be Merciful to him, O Allah! Forgive him, as long as he keeps on sitting at his praying place and does not pass wind. (See Hadith No. 620).
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ صَلاَةُ الْجَمِيعِ تَزِيدُ عَلَى صَلاَتِهِ فِي بَيْتِهِ وَصَلاَتِهِ فِي سُوقِهِ خَمْسًا وَعِشْرِينَ دَرَجَةً فَإِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ إِذَا تَوَضَّأَ فَأَحْسَنَ وَأَتَى الْمَسْجِدَ لاَ يُرِيدُ إِلاَّ الصَّلاَةَ لَمْ يَخْطُ خُطْوَةً إِلاَّ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً وَحَطَّ عَنْهُ خَطِيئَةً حَتَّى يَدْخُلَ الْمَسْجِدَ وَإِذَا دَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ كَانَ فِي صَلاَةٍ مَا كَانَتْ تَحْبِسُهُ وَتُصَلِّي يَعْنِي عَلَيْهِ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ مَا دَامَ فِي مَجْلِسِهِ الَّذِي يُصَلِّي فِيهِ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْهُ مَا لَمْ يُحْدِثْ فِيهِ
Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The reward of the prayer offered by a person in congregation is twenty five times greater than that of the prayer offered in one's house or in the market (alone). And this is because if he performs ablution and does it perfectly and then proceeds to the mosque with the sole intention of praying, then for every step he takes towards the mosque, he is upgraded one degree in reward and his one sin is taken off (crossed out) from his accounts (of deeds). When he offers his prayer, the angels keep on asking Allah's Blessings and Allah's forgiveness for him as long as he is (staying) at his Musalla. They say, 'O Allah! Bestow Your blessings upon him, be Merciful and kind to him.' And one is regarded in prayer as long as one is waiting for the prayer."
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَلاَةُ الرَّجُلِ فِي الْجَمَاعَةِ تُضَعَّفُ عَلَى صَلاَتِهِ فِي بَيْتِهِ وَفِي سُوقِهِ خَمْسًا وَعِشْرِينَ ضِعْفًا وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ إِذَا تَوَضَّأَ فَأَحْسَنَ الْوُضُوءَ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ لاَ يُخْرِجُهُ إِلاَّ الصَّلاَةُ لَمْ يَخْطُ خَطْوَةً إِلاَّ رُفِعَتْ لَهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةٌ وَحُطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةٌ فَإِذَا صَلَّى لَمْ تَزَلِ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ تُصَلِّي عَلَيْهِ مَا دَامَ فِي مُصَلاَّهُ اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَيْهِ اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْهُ وَلاَ يَزَالُ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي صَلاَةٍ مَا انْتَظَرَ الصَّلاَةَ
Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The congregational prayer of anyone amongst you is more than twenty (five or twenty seven) times in reward than his prayer in the market or in his house, for if he performs ablution completely and then goes to the mosque with the sole intention of performing the prayer, and nothing urges him to proceed to the mosque except the prayer, then, on every step which he takes towards the mosque, he will be raised one degree or one of his sins will be forgiven. The angels will keep on asking Allah's forgiveness and blessings for everyone of you so long as he keeps sitting at his praying place. The angels will say, 'O Allah, bless him! O Allah, be merciful to him!' as long as he does not do Hadath or a thing which gives trouble to the other." The Prophet ﷺ further said, "One is regarded in prayer so long as one is waiting for the prayer."
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَلاَةُ أَحَدِكُمْ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ تَزِيدُ عَلَى صَلاَتِهِ فِي سُوقِهِ وَبَيْتِهِ بِضْعًا وَعِشْرِينَ دَرَجَةً وَذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُ إِذَا تَوَضَّأَ فَأَحْسَنَ الْوُضُوءَ ثُمَّ أَتَى الْمَسْجِدَ لاَ يُرِيدُ إِلاَّ الصَّلاَةَ لاَ يَنْهَزُهُ إِلاَّ الصَّلاَةُ لَمْ يَخْطُ خَطْوَةً إِلاَّ رُفِعَ بِهَا دَرَجَةً أَوْ حُطَّتْ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةٌ وَالْمَلاَئِكَةُ تُصَلِّي عَلَى أَحَدِكُمْ مَا دَامَ فِي مُصَلاَّهُ الَّذِي يُصَلِّي فِيهِ اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَيْهِ اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْهُ مَا لَمْ يُحْدِثْ فِيهِ مَا لَمْ يُؤْذِ فِيهِ وَقَالَ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي صَلاَةٍ مَا كَانَتِ الصَّلاَةُ تَحْبِسُهُ
There came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ a blind man and said: Messenger of Allah, I have no one to guide me to the mosque. He, therefore, asked. Messenger of Allah ﷺ permission to say prayer in his house. He (tee Holy Prophet) granted him permission. Then when the man turned away he called him and said: Do you hear the call to prayer? He said: Yes. He (the Prophet then) said: Respond to it.
أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ رَجُلٌ أَعْمَى فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ لِي قَائِدٌ يَقُودُنِي إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ فَسَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنْ يُرَخِّصَ لَهُ فَيُصَلِّيَ فِي بَيْتِهِ فَرَخَّصَ لَهُ فَلَمَّا وَلَّى دَعَاهُ فَقَالَ هَلْ تَسْمَعُ النِّدَاءَ بِالصَّلاَةِ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَأَجِبْ
Messenger of Allah, there are many venomous creatures and wild beasts in Medina (so allow me to pray in my house because I am blind). The Prophet ﷺ said: Do you hear the call, "Come to prayer," "Come to salvation"? (He said: Yes.) Then you must come. Abu Dawud said: Al-Qasim al-Jarmi has narrated this tradition from Sufyan in a similar manner. But his version does not contain the words "Then you must come."
يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ الْمَدِينَةَ كَثِيرَةُ الْهَوَامِّ وَالسِّبَاعِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَتَسْمَعُ حَىَّ عَلَى الصَّلاَةِ حَىَّ عَلَى الْفَلاَحِ فَحَىَّ هَلاَ
Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "By Him in Whose Hand my soul is I was about to order for collecting firewood (fuel) and then order Someone to pronounce the Adhan for the prayer and then order someone to lead the prayer then I would go from behind and burn the houses of men who did not present themselves for the (compulsory congregational) prayer. By Him, in Whose Hands my soul is, if anyone of them had known that he would get a bone covered with good meat or two (small) pieces of meat present in between two ribs, he would have turned up for the ʿIsha' prayer.'
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ آمُرَ بِحَطَبٍ فَيُحْطَبَ ثُمَّ آمُرَ بِالصَّلاَةِ فَيُؤَذَّنَ لَهَا ثُمَّ آمُرَ رَجُلاً فَيَؤُمَّ النَّاسَ ثُمَّ أُخَالِفَ إِلَى رِجَالٍ فَأُحَرِّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ بُيُوتَهُمْ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوْ يَعْلَمُ أَحَدُهُمْ أَنَّهُ يَجِدُ عَرْقًا سَمِينًا أَوْ مِرْمَاتَيْنِ حَسَنَتَيْنِ لَشَهِدَ الْعِشَاءَ
Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "By Him in Whose Hands my life is, I was about to order for collecting fire wood and then order someone to pronounce the Adhan for the prayer and then order someone to lead the people in prayer and then I would go from behind and burn the houses of men who did not present themselves for the (compulsory congregational) prayer. By Him in Whose Hands my life is, if anyone of you had known that he would receive a bone covered with meat or two (small) pieces of meat present in between two ribs, he would come for ʿIsha' prayer." (See Hadith No. 617, Vol. 1)
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ آمُرَ بِحَطَبٍ يُحْتَطَبُ ثُمَّ آمُرَ بِالصَّلاَةِ فَيُؤَذَّنَ لَهَا ثُمَّ آمُرَ رَجُلاً فَيَؤُمَّ النَّاسَ ثُمَّ أُخَالِفَ إِلَى رِجَالٍ فَأُحَرِّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ بُيُوتَهُمْ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوْ يَعْلَمُ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنَّهُ يَجِدُ عَرْقًا سَمِينًا أَوْ مَرْمَاتَيْنِ حَسَنَتَيْنِ لَشَهِدَ الْعِشَاءَ قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ قَالَ يُونُسُ قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مِرْمَاةٌ مَا بَيْنَ ظِلْفِ الشَّاةِ مِنَ اللَّحْمِ مِثْلُ مِنْسَاةٍ وَمِيضَاةٍ الْمِيمُ مَخْفُوضَةٌ
He who likes to meet Allah tomorrow as Muslim, he should persevere in observing these prayers, when a call is announced for them, for Allah has laid down for your Prophet the paths of right guidance, and these (prayers) are among the paths of right guidance. If you were to pray in your houses as this man why stays away (from the mosque) prays in his house, you would abandon the practice of your Prophet, and if you were to abandon the practice of your Prophet, you would go astray. No man purifies himself, doing it well, then makes for one of those mosques without Allah recording a blessing for him for every step he takes raising him a degree for it, and effacing a sin from him for it. I have seen the time when no one stayed away from it, except a hypocrite, who was well known for his hypocrisy, whereas a man would be brought swaying (due to weakness) between two men till he was set up in a row.
أَنْ يَلْقَى اللَّهَ غَدًا مُسْلِمًا فَلْيُحَافِظْ عَلَى هَؤُلاَءِ الصَّلَوَاتِ حَيْثُ يُنَادَى بِهِنَّ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ شَرَعَ لِنَبِيِّكُمْ ﷺ سُنَنَ الْهُدَى وَإِنَّهُنَّ مِنْ سُنَنِ الْهُدَى وَلَوْ أَنَّكُمْ صَلَّيْتُمْ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ كَمَا يُصَلِّي هَذَا الْمُتَخَلِّفُ فِي بَيْتِهِ لَتَرَكْتُمْ سُنَّةَ نَبِيِّكُمْ وَلَوْ تَرَكْتُمْ سُنَّةَ نَبِيِّكُمْ لَضَلَلْتُمْ وَمَا مِنْ رَجُلٍ يَتَطَهَّرُ فَيُحْسِنُ الطُّهُورَ ثُمَّ يَعْمِدُ إِلَى مَسْجِدٍ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْمَسَاجِدِ إِلاَّ كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بِكُلِّ خَطْوَةٍ يَخْطُوهَا حَسَنَةً وَيَرْفَعُهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً وَيَحُطُّ عَنْهُ بِهَا سَيِّئَةً وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنَا وَمَا يَتَخَلَّفُ عَنْهَا إِلاَّ مُنَافِقٌ مَعْلُومُ النِّفَاقِ وَلَقَدْ كَانَ الرَّجُلُ يُؤْتَى بِهِ يُهَادَى بَيْنَ الرَّجُلَيْنِ حَتَّى يُقَامَ فِي الصَّفِّ
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. Sa'ib said: By the word Jama'ah he meant saying prayer in company or in congregation.
سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَا مِنْ ثَلاَثَةٍ فِي قَرْيَةٍ وَلاَ بَدْوٍ لاَ تُقَامُ فِيهِمُ الصَّلاَةُ إِلاَّ قَدِ اسْتَحْوَذَ عَلَيْهِمُ الشَّيْطَانُ فَعَلَيْكَ بِالْجَمَاعَةِ فَإِنَّمَا يَأْكُلُ الذِّئْبُ الْقَاصِيَةَ قَالَ زَائِدَةُ قَالَ السَّائِبُ يَعْنِي بِالْجَمَاعَةِ الصَّلاَةَ فِي الْجَمَاعَةِ