Subchapter

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "The prayer offered in congregation is twenty-seven degrees more rewardable than a prayer offered by a single person." [Agreed upon]. Both al-Bukhari and Muslim have also reported through Abu Hurairah (RA): "Twenty-five degrees (more)." Likewise, al-Bukhari reported from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri: "He (ﷺ) said (the word) Daraja (degree)."

Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, I have thought of giving orders for fuel wood to be gathered, then giving orders for Salat (prayer) and having the Adhan called, then ordering a man to lead the people (in prayer), then going off to some people (men) who are not present at the prayer and burning down their houses upon them. By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, if one of them knew he would find a fat meaty bone or two fine sheep hooves he would attend the 'Isha' (evening prayer)." [Agreed upon, and the wording is that of al-Bukhari].

Narrated [Abu Hurairah (RA)]: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "The most burdensome prayers for hypocrites are the 'Isha' and the Fajr prayers and if they knew what (rewards) these (prayers) contain, they would have come to them (in the mosques), even though they had to crawl on their knees." [Agreed upon].

Narrated [Abu Hurairah (RA)]: A blind man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, I have no guide to take me to the mosque." He [the Prophet (ﷺ)] therefore permitted him (to pray at his house), then when the man turned away the Prophet (ﷺ) called him and asked, "Can you hear the Adhan (call) for prayer?" He answered, "Yes". He [the Prophet (ﷺ)] said, "Then respond to it." [Reported by Muslim].

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "Whoever hears the call for prayer and and does not come (to the mosque for prayer), his prayer will not be accepted from him, unless he has a (legitimate) excuse." [Reported by Ibn Majah, ad-Daraqutni, Ibn Hibban and al-Hakim. Its chain of narration meets Muslim's conditions, but some Hadith scholars held that the stronger view is that it is Mawquf (saying of a Companion)].

Narrated Yazid bin al-Aswad (RA): He offered the morning prayer with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and when Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) finished his prayer, he saw two men who had not prayed with him. He ordered them to be brought and they were brought trembling with fear. He asked them what had prevented you from praying with us?" They said, "We had already prayed at our homes." He said, "Don't do so! If you pray at your homes and then you come while the Imam has not yet performed the prayer, you must pray with him, and it will be a voluntary prayer for you." [Reported by Ahmad - with his wording - and ath-Thalathah. at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban graded it Sahih (authentic)].

Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA) : Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "The Imam has been appointed to be followed (in the congregational prayers). So, when he utters the Takbir, utter the Takbir too, and do not utter the Takbir until he utters it. When he bows, you should bow, and do not bow until he bows. When he says, "Allah listens to him who praises him," say, "O Allah, our Rabb, to you is the praise." When he prostrates, you prostrate; and do not prostrate until he prostrates. If he prays standing, pray standing, and if he prays sitting, all of you pray sitting." [Reported by Abu Dawud and the wording is his]. And its basic meaning is in the Sahihain (of al-Bukhari and Muslim)].

Narrated Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (RA): When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saw a tendency among his Companions of going to the back he said, "Come forward and follow my lead and let those behind you follow you." [Reported by Muslim].

Narrated Zaid bin Thabit (RA): Allah's (ﷺ) made a small room of a mat (i.e. he used it to designate a space for prayer) and prayed inside it. The people followed him, and they came to pray behind him. The narrator mentioned the rest of the Hadith, and it contains the words: "The most excellent prayer of a person is (that which he prays) in his house except that which is prescribed (the five congregational prayers)." [Agreed upon].

Narrated Jabir (RA): Mu'adh bin Jabal (RA) led his companions in the al-'Isha (night prayer) and prolonged it for them. Upon this the Prophet (ﷺ) said to him, "O Mu'adh, do you want to become a Fattan? When you lead people in prayers, recite ash-Shamsi wa duhaha (Surat 91), Sabbihisma Rabbikal-A'la (Surat 87), Iqra' Bismi Rabbika (Surat 96) and Wal-Laili idha yaghsha (Surat 92)." [Agreed upon. And the wording is from Muslim].

Narrated 'Aishah (RA) regarding Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) leading the people in Salat (prayer) during his illness. She said, "He came and sat on the left side of Abu Bakr (RA). So he (ﷺ) was leading the people in prayer while sitting and Abu Bakr standing. Abu Bakr was following the prayer of the Prophet (ﷺ), and the people were following the prayer of Abu Bakr." [Agreed upon].

Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA): The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "When one of you leads the people in prayer he should be brief, for among them are the young and the old, the weak and those who have needs to attend to. But if he prays by himself he may pray as he wishes." [Agreed upon].

Narrated 'Amr bin Salimah (RA): My father said, "I have come from the true Prophet (ﷺ), so when the time of Salat (prayer) comes one of you should announce the Adhan and the one of you who knows the Qur'an most should be your Imam." He ('Amr) said: "They looked around and there was no one who knew the Qur'an more than I. So they put me forward in front of them and I was only six or seven years old." [Reported by al-Bukhari, Abu Dawud and an-Nasa'i].

Narrated Ibn Mas'ud (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "The one who knows [by recitation and memorization] the Book of Allah most should be the Imam of the people. If they are equal in the recitation, then the one who knows the Sunnah most and if they are equal in the Sunnah then the earliest of them to emigrate (to al-Madinah) and if they are equal in the emigration then the oldest among them in Islam. In another narration it has "agewise". And no man should lead another in prayer in his domain or sit in his place of honor without his permission." [Reported by Muslim].

Ibn Majah reported the following from Jabir's narration, "A woman is never to lead a man in prayer, neither a bedouin (desert Arab) to lead an emigrant, nor a sinner to lead a believer." [Its chain of narrators is Wahin (extremely weak)].

Narrated Anas (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "Stand close together in your rows, bring them (the rows) near one another, and stand neck to neck (in straight lines)." [Reported by Abu Dawud and an-Nasa'i. And Ibn Hibban graded it Sahih (authentic)].

Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "The best of the men's rows is the first and the worst is the last; and the best of the women's rows is the last and the worst is the first." [Reported by Muslim].

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas (RA): "I prayed (the night Tahajjud prayer) with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) one night and I stood on his left side, whereupon he took me by the back of my head and made me go round to his right side. [Agreed upon].

Narrated Anas (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) prayed and an orphan and I prayed behind him and Umm Sulaim (RA) was behind us. [Agreed upon and the wording is al-Bukhari's].

Narrated Abu Bakrah (RA): He reached the Prophet (ﷺ) while he was bowing, so he (Abu Bakrah) bowed before reaching the row. He mentioned that to the Prophet (ﷺ) and the Prophet (ﷺ) said to him, "May Allah increase your eagerness! But do not repeat." [Reported by al-Bukhari]. And Abu Dawud added: "He bowed before reaching the row then walked and joined the row."

Narrated Wabisah bin Ma'bad: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saw a man praying alone behind the row so he ordered him to repeat the Salat (prayer). [Reported by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi. The latter graded it Hasan, and Ibn Hibban graded it Sahih (authentic)]. Ibn Hibban reported this from Talq [bin 'Ali (RA)]: "The prayer of a person who prays alone behind the row is not accepted. And at-Tabarani added to the narration of Wabisah, "Why did you not join them or pull back a man (to your position)?"

Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA): The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "If you hear the Iqamah, you must walk to the prayer (place) with tranquility and dignity, and do not hasten; and whatever portion of the prayer you get (along with the Imam) offer it, and complete afterwards whatever you missed. [Agreed upon, and the wording is al-Bukhari's).

Narrated 'Ubai bin Ka'b (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "A man's prayer offered with another man is purer than his prayer which he offers alone, and his prayer with two men is purer than his prayer with one and if they are more (in number), it is more beloved to Allah, the Mighty the Majestic." [Reported by Abu Dawud and an-Nasa'i. And Ibn Hibban graded it Sahih (authentic)].

Narrated Umm Waraqah: The Prophet (ﷺ) commanded her to lead the members of her household (in prayer). [Reported by Abu Dawud; Ibn Khuzaimah graded it Sahih (authentic)].

Narrated Anas (RA): The Prophet (ﷺ) appointed Ibn Umm Maktum (RA) to lead the people in prayer in his absence and he [Ibn Umm Maktum (RA)] was blind. [Reported by Ahmad and Abu Dawud]. Ibn Hibban also reported something similar from 'Aishah (RA).

Narrated Ibn 'Umar (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "Pray (funeral prayers) over him who said (believed): 'Nothing deserves to be worshiped except Allah'; and pray behind him who says: 'Nothing deserves to be worshiped except Allah'." [ad-Daraqutni reported it through a weak chain of narrators].

Narrated 'Ali bin Abi Talib (RA): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "If one of you comes to Salat (prayer) and the Imam is at a certain position, he must do as the Imam is doing." [Reported by at-Tirmidhi with a weak chain of narrators].