"عَنْ أُبىٍّ قَالَ: صَلَّى بِنَا رَسُولُ الله ﷺ يَوْمًا الصُّبْحَ فَقَالَ: أَشَاهِدٌ فُلاَنٌ؟ قَالُواْ: لاَ، قَالَ: أَشَاهِدٌ فُلاَنٌ؟ قَالُوا: لاَ. قَالَ إِنَّ هَاتَيْنِ الصَّلاَتَيْنِ أَثْقَلُ الصَّلَوات عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ، وَلَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِيهمَا لأَتَيْتُمُوهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا عَلَى الرُّكَبِ، وَإنَّ الصَّفَّ الأوَّلَ عَلَى مِثْلِ صَفِّ الْمَلائِكَةِ، وَلوْ عَلِمْتُمْ مَا فَضِيلَتُهُ لاَبْتَدَرْتُمُوهُ، وَإِنَّ صَلاَةَ الرَّجُلِ مَعَ الرَّجُلِ أَزْكَى مِنْ صَلاتهِ وَحْدَهُ، وَصَلاَتُهُ مَعَ الرَّجُلَيْنِ أَزْكى مِنْ صَلاَتِه بالرَّجلِ، وَما كَثُرَ فَهُو أحَبُّ إِلَى الله ﷻ ".
See similar narrations below:
Collected by Nasāʾī, Abū Dāwūd, Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Bayhaqī, Suyūṭī"One day the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed Fajr, then he said: 'Did so-and-so attend the prayer? They said: 'No.' He said: '(What about) so-and-so? They said:'No' He said: 'These two prayers. are the most burdensome for the hypocrites. If they knew what (virtue) there is in them, they would come, even if they had to crawl. And the virtue of the first row is like that of the row of the angels. If you knew its virtue, you would compete for it. A man's prayer with another man is greater in reward than his prayer alone. And a man's prayer with two other men is greater in reward than his prayer with one other man; the more people there are, the more beloved that is to Allah, the Mighty and Sublime."'
وَقَالَ أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ وَقَدْ سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْهُ وَمِنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أُبَىَّ بْنَ كَعْبٍ يَقُولُ صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمًا صَلاَةَ الصُّبْحِ فَقَالَ أَشَهِدَ فُلاَنٌ الصَّلاَةَ قَالُوا لاَ قَالَ فَفُلاَنٌ قَالُوا لاَ قَالَ إِنَّ هَاتَيْنِ الصَّلاَتَيْنِ مِنْ أَثْقَلِ الصَّلاَةِ عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِيهِمَا لأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا وَالصَّفُّ الأَوَّلُ عَلَى مِثْلِ صَفِّ الْمَلاَئِكَةِ وَلَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ فَضِيلَتَهُ لاَبْتَدَرْتُمُوهُ وَصَلاَةُ الرَّجُلِ مَعَ الرَّجُلِ أَزْكَى مِنْ صَلاَتِهِ وَحْدَهُ وَصَلاَةُ الرَّجُلِ مَعَ الرَّجُلَيْنِ أَزْكَى مِنْ صَلاَتِهِ مَعَ الرَّجُلِ وَمَا كَانُوا أَكْثَرَ فَهُوَ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ ﷻ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in the dawn prayer one day. And he said: Is so and so present? They said: No. He (again) asked: Is so and so present? They replied: No. He then said: These two prayers are the ones which are most burdensome to hypocrites. If you knew what they contain (i.e. blessings), you would come to them, even though you had to crawl on your knees. The first row is like that of the angels, and if you knew the nature of its excellence, you would race to join it. A man's prayer said along with another is purer than his prayer said alone, and his prayer with two men is purer than his prayer with one, but if there are more it is more pleasing to Allah, the Almighty, the Majestic.
صَلَّى بِنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمًا الصُّبْحَ فَقَالَ أَشَاهِدٌ فُلاَنٌ قَالُوا لاَ قَالَ أَشَاهِدٌ فُلاَنٌ قَالُوا لاَ قَالَ إِنَّ هَاتَيْنِ الصَّلاَتَيْنِ أَثْقَلُ الصَّلَوَاتِ عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَلَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِيهِمَا لأَتَيْتُمُوهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا عَلَى الرُّكَبِ وَإِنَّ الصَّفَّ الأَوَّلَ عَلَى مِثْلِ صَفِّ الْمَلاَئِكَةِ وَلَوْ عَلِمْتُمْ مَا فَضِيلَتُهُ لاَبْتَدَرْتُمُوهُ وَإِنَّ صَلاَةَ الرَّجُلِ مَعَ الرَّجُلِ أَزْكَى مِنْ صَلاَتِهِ وَحْدَهُ وَصَلاَتُهُ مَعَ الرَّجُلَيْنِ أَزْكَى مِنْ صَلاَتِهِ مَعَ الرَّجُلِ وَمَا كَثُرَ فَهُوَ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in the dawn prayer one day. And he said: Is so and so present? They said: No. He (again) asked: Is so and so present? They replied: No. He then said: These two prayers are the ones which are most burdensome to hypocrites. If you knew what they contain (i.e. blessings), you would come to them, even though you had to crawl on your knees. The first row is like that of the angels, and if you knew the nature of its excellence, you would race to join it. A man's prayer said along with another is purer than his prayer said alone, and his prayer with two men is purer than his prayer with one, but if there are more it is more pleasing to Allah, the Almighty, the Majestic. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 554)
أَنَّهُ قَالَ صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ الصُّبْحَفَقَالَ شَاهِدٌ فُلَانٌ؟ فَقَالُوا لَا فَقَالَ شَاهِدٌ فُلَانٌ؟ فَقَالُوا لَا فَقَالَ شَاهِدٌ فُلَانٌ فَقَالُوا لَا فَقَالَ إِنَّ هَاتَيْنِ الصَّلَاتَيْنِ مِنْ أَثْقَلِ الصَّلَوَاتِ عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِيهِمَا لَأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا وَالصَّفُّ الْمُقَدَّمُ عَلَى مِثْلِ صَفِّ الْمَلَائِكَةِ وَلَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ فَضِيلَتَهُ لَابْتَدَرْتُمُوهُ وَصَلَاةُ الرَّجُلِ مَعَ الرَّجُلَ أَزْكَى مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ وَحْدَهُ وَصَلَاتُهُ مَعَ رَجُلَيْنِ أَزْكَى مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ مَعَ رَجُلٍ وَمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرَ فَهُوَ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللهِ
[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed the Fajr prayer. After the prayer, he said, "Did so-and-so witness the prayer?" The people remained silent and they said, "Yes, he did not attend." Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Indeed, the heaviest prayers upon the hypocrites are the 'Isha' and Fajr prayers. If they knew the virtues of these two prayers, they would come to perform them even if they had to crawl. Indeed, the first row in prayer is equivalent to the row of angels, and if you knew the virtue of it, you would compete to be in it. Indeed, your prayer along with two men is purer than your prayer with one man, and your prayer with one man is purer than your prayer alone. However, the more the number increases, the more beloved it is to Allah."
صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ الْفَجْرَ فَلَمَّا صَلَّى قَالَ شَاهِدٌ فُلَانٌ؟ فَسَكَتَ الْقَوْمُ قَالُوا نَعَمْ وَلَمْ يَحْضُرْ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّ أَثْقَلَ الصَّلَاةِ عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ صَلَاةُ الْعِشَاءِ وَالْفَجْرِ وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِيهِمَا لَأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا وَإِنَّ الصَّفَّ الْأَوَّلَ عَلَى مِثْلِ صَفِّ الْمَلَائِكَةِ وَلَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ فَضِيلَتَهُ لَابْتَدَرْتُمُوهُ إِنَّ صَلَاتَكَ مَعَ رَجُلَيْنِ أَزْكَى مِنْ صَلَاتِكَ مَعَ رَجُلٍ وَصَلَاتَكَ مَعَ رَجُلٍ أَزْكَى مِنْ صَلَاتِكَ وَحْدَكَ وَمَا كَثُرَ فَهُوَ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللهِ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in the dawn prayer one day. And he said: Is so and so present? They said: No. He (again) asked: Is so and so present? They replied: No. He then said: These two prayers are the ones which are most burdensome to hypocrites. If you knew what they contain (i.e. blessings), you would come to them, even though you had to crawl on your knees. The first row is like that of the angels, and if you knew the nature of its excellence, you would race to join it. A man's prayer said along with another is purer than his prayer said alone, and his prayer with two men is purer than his prayer with one, but if there are more it is more pleasing to Allah, the Almighty, the Majestic. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 554)
صَلَّى بِنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الصُّبْحَ فَقَالَ «أَشَاهِدٌ فُلَانٌ؟ » قَالُوا لَا فَقَالَ «أَشَاهِدٌ فُلَانٌ؟ » قَالُوا لَا قَالَ «إِنَّ هَاتَيْنِ الصَّلَاتَيْنِ أَثْقَلُ الصَّلَوَاتِ عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ فَضْلَ مَا فِيهِمَا لَأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا وَإِنَّ الصَّفَّ الْأَوَّلَ لَعَلَى مِثْلِ صَفِّ الْمَلَائِكَةِ وَلَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ فَضِيلَتَهُ لَابْتَدَرْتُمُوهُ وَصَلَاةُ الرَّجُلِ مَعَ الرَّجُلَيْنِ أَزْكَى مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ مَعَ رَجُلٍ وَكُلَّمَا كَثُرَ فَهُوَ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ»
"One day the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed Fajr, then he said: 'Did so-and-so attend the prayer? They said: 'No.' He said: '(What about) so-and-so? They said:'No' He said: 'These two prayers. are the most burdensome for the hypocrites. If they knew what (virtue) there is in them, they would come, even if they had to crawl. And the virtue of the first row is like that of the row of the angels. If you knew its virtue, you would compete for it. A man's prayer with another man is greater in reward than his prayer alone. And a man's prayer with two other men is greater in reward than his prayer with one other man; the more people there are, the more beloved that is to Allah, the Mighty and Sublime."' (Using translation from Nasāʾī 843)
سَمِعْتُ أُبَيَّ بْنَ كَعْبٍ يَقُولُ صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَوْمًا صَلَاةَ الصُّبْحَ فَقَالَ «أَشَهِدَ فُلَانٌ الصَّلَاةَ؟» قَالُوا لَا قَالَ «فَفُلَانٌ؟» قَالُوا لَا قَالَ «إِنَّ هَاتَيْنِ الصَّلَاتَيْنِ مِنْ أَثْقَلِ الصَّلَاةِ عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِيهِمَا لَأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا وَالصَّفُّ الْأَوَّلُ عَلَى مِثْلِ صَفِّ الْمَلَائِكَةِ وَلَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ فَضِيلَتَهُ ابْتَدَرْتُمُوهُ وَصَلَاةُ الرَّجُلِ مَعَ الرَّجُلِ أَزْكَى مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ وَحْدَهُ وَصَلَاةُ الرَّجُلِ مَعَ الرِّجْلَيْنِ أَزْكَى مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ مَعَ الرَّجُلِ وَمَا كَانُوا أَكْثَرَ فَهُوَ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللهِ»
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in the dawn prayer one day. And he said: Is so and so present? They said: No. He (again) asked: Is so and so present? They replied: No. He then said: These two prayers are the ones which are most burdensome to hypocrites. If you knew what they contain (i.e. blessings), you would come to them, even though you had to crawl on your knees. The first row is like that of the angels, and if you knew the nature of its excellence, you would race to join it. A man's prayer said along with another is purer than his prayer said alone, and his prayer with two men is purer than his prayer with one, but if there are more it is more pleasing to Allah, the Almighty, the Majestic. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 554)
صَلَّى بِنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ الصُّبْحَ فَلَمَّا سَلَّمَ نَظَرَ فِي وُجُوهِ الْقَوْمِ فَقَالَ أَشَاهِدٌ فُلَانٌ؟ قَالُوا نَعَمْ فَقَالَ أَمَا إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ صَلَاةٍ أَثْقَلُ عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ مِنْ هَاتَيْنِ الصَّلَاتَيْنِ يَعْنِي الصُّبْحَ وَصَلَاةَ الْعِشَاءِ وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِيهِمَا لَأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا وَإِنَّ الصَّفَّ الْأَوَّلَ عَلَى مِثْلِ صَفِّ الْمَلَائِكَةِ وَلَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِيهِ لَابْتَدَرْتُمُوهُ وَإِنَّ صَلَاةَ الرَّجُلِ مَعَ الرَّجُلِ أَزْكَى مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ وَحْدَهُ وَصَلَاتَهُ مَعَ الرَّجُلَيْنِ أَزْكَى مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ مَعَ رَجُلٍ وَمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرَ كَانَ أَحَبَّ إِلَى اللهِ ﷻ
[Machine] The Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , led us in the Isha prayer and then he looked for certain individuals and asked, "Is so-and-so present?" They said, "No." Then he asked, "Is so-and-so present?" They said, "No." He asked again, "Is so-and-so present?" They said, "No." He said, "Indeed, these two prayers, meaning the Isha and Fajr prayers, are the heaviest prayers upon the hypocrites. If they knew the reward in them, they would attend even if they had to crawl. Verily, the prayer of a person with another person is purer than his prayer alone, and his prayer with two people is purer than his prayer with one person. And however many are present, it is more beloved to Allah. And indeed, the first row is like the rows of the angels. It has been reported from Abu Ishaq, from Abdullah bin Abi Basir, from his father, from Ubayy, and it has been reported in other ways as well.
صَلَّى بِنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ صَلَاةَ الْعِشَاءِ فَتَفَقَّدَ رِجَالًا فَقَالَ أَشَهِدَ فُلَانٌ؟ قِيلَ لَا ثُمَّ قَالَ أَشَهِدَ فُلَانٌ؟ قِيلَ لَا ثُمَّ قَالَ أَشَهِدَ فُلَانٌ؟ قَالُوا لَا قَالَ إِنَّ هَاتَيْنِ الصَّلَاتَيْنِ يَعْنِي صَلَاةَ الْعِشَاءِ وَالْفَجْرِ مِنْ أَثْقَلِ الصَّلَوَاتِ عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِيهِمَا لَأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا وَإِنَّ صَلَاةَ الرَّجُلِ مَعَ الرَّجُلِ أَزْكَى مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ وَحْدَهُ وَصَلَاتَهُ مَعَ الرَّجُلَيْنِ أَزْكَى مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ مَعَ الرَّجُلِ وَمَا كَثُرَ فَهُوَ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللهِ وَإنَّ الصَّفَّ الْأَوَّلَ عَلَى مِثْلِ صُفُوفِ الْمَلَائِكَةِ وَقَدْ قِيلَ عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أُبَيٍّ وَقِيلَ عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أُبَيٍّ وَقِيلَ غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ
"عَنْ أُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْب قَالَ: إِنَّ رَسُولَ الله ﷺ صَلَّى بِنَا صَلاَةَ الْفَجْرِ فَلَمَّا سَلَّمَ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى الْقَوْمِ بِوَجْهِهِ فَقَالَ: أَشَاهِدٌ فُلاَنٌ؟ أَشَاهِدٌ فُلانٌ حَتَّى دَعَا بِثَلاَثَة كُلُّهُمْ في مَنَازِلِهِمْ لَم يَحْضُرُوا الصَّلاَةَ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّ أَثْقَلَ الصَّلاَةِ عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ صَلاَةُ الْفَجْرِ، وَالْعِشَاءِ، وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِيهِمَا لأَتوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا، وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ صَلاَتَكَ مَعَ رَجُلٍ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلاَتِكَ وَحْدَكَ، وَأَنَّ صَلاَتَكَ مَعَ رَجُليْنِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلاَتِكَ مَعَ رَجُلٍ، وَمَا أكثَرْتُمْ فَهُو أَحَبُّ إِلَى الله، أَلاَ وَإِنَّ الصَّفَّ المُقَدَّمَ عَلَى مِثْلِ صَفِّ الْمَلائِكَةِ، وَلَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ فَضِيلَتَهُ لابْتَدَرْتُمُوهُ، أَلاَ وَإِنَّ صَلاَةَ الْجَمَاعَةِ تَفْضُلُ عَلَى صَلاَةِ الرَّجُلِ وَحْدَهُ أَرْبَعًا وَعِشْرِينَ أَوْ خَمْسًا وَعِشرْينَ".
"إِنَّ أثقَلَ الصلاةِ على المنافقين صلاةُ العشاءِ، وصلاةُ الفجر، ولو يعلمون ما فِيهِمَا لأتَوْهُما ولو حَبْوًا، واعْلَموا أن الصَّفَّ المُقَدَّمَ على مِثْل صَفِّ الملائكةِ ولو عَلمتم فَضِيلتَه لابْتَدَرْتُمُوه، واعلموا أن صلاةَ الرجل مع الرجل أَزكى من صلاة الرجل وحدَه، وإن صلاتَه مع الرَّجُلَيْن أزكى من صلاِته معَ الرجل وما كَثُرَ فهو أحبُّ إِلى اللَّهِ تعالى".
"إِنَّ هاتَينِ الصَّلَاتَين: يَعْنِى العِشَاءَ والصبحَ من أَثقلِ الصلواتِ على المنافقينِ، ولو يعلمون فضلْ ما فيهما لأَتوْهما وَلَوْ حَبْوًا، عليكم بالصَّفِّ الْمُقَدَّمِ، فَإِنَّه على مِثْل صفِّ الملائِكةِ، ولو تَعْلَمُونَ فضيلتَه لَابْتَدَرْتُمُوهُ، وصلاةُ الرجلِ مع الرجلِ أَزْكَى من صلاِتهِ، وحدَه، وصلاتُه مع الرجلين أَزْكى من صلاتهِ مع الرَّجُلِ، وما كان أَكْثَرَ فهو أَحبُّ إِلى اللَّه -تعالى-".