Staying away from Isha and Fajr, and the virtue of attending them

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The heaviest prayers for the hypocrites are the Fajr and Isha prayers. If they knew what reward lies in Isha and Fajr, they would come to them even if they had to crawl on their knees. I have a mind to order that the prayer be established, then tell someone to lead the people in prayer, then go with some men carrying bundles of firewood to those people who do not attend the prayer, and burn their houses down upon them with fire."

Sayyiduna Ubayy bin Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) once led us in prayer. When he had finished the prayer, he saw that there were few people in the mosque. So he said: "Is so-and-so present?" We said: Yes. This went on until he had named three men. Then he said: "There is no prayer heavier for the hypocrites than the Isha and Fajr prayers. If they knew their reward, they would come to the mosque even if they had to crawl on their knees."

Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: When we did not see a man at the Isha or Fajr prayer, we would think ill of him.

Abu Umayr bin Anas said: My Ansari paternal uncles told me that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No hypocrite attends the Isha and Fajr prayers."

Ibn Abi Layla said: During the illness in which he died, Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Will you not carry me out of here? So the people lifted him and carried him out. Then he said: Listen carefully and convey it to those who come after you: "Take care of these two prayers, Isha and Fajr. If you knew what lies in these two prayers, you would come to them even if you had to crawl on your knees and elbows."

It is narrated from Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If people knew what lies in the Isha and Fajr prayers, they would come to the mosque for them even if they had to crawl on their knees."

Ibn Abi Amrah al-Ansari said: I came to the mosque, and Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was sitting in the mosque at the time of the Isha prayer, so I sat with him. Sayyiduna Uthman said: Attending the Fajr prayer is like worshipping the whole night, and attending the Isha prayer is like worshipping half the night.

Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: That I should offer the Fajr and Isha prayers in congregation is dearer to me than spending the time between them in worship.

Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: That I should offer the Fajr and Isha prayers in congregation is dearer to me than spending the time between them in worship.

Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: That I should attend the Isha and Fajr prayers in congregation is dearer to me than spending the night between them in worship.

Yahya bin Abd al-Rahman bin Hatib said: Whenever Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) went to or came back from the market, he would pass by Sayyidah al-Shifa' bint Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with her). One day in Ramadan he passed by her and asked her: Where is Sulayman (her son)? She said: He is asleep. Sayyiduna Umar asked: Did he attend the Fajr prayer? His mother said: No; he spent the whole night in worship with the people, then came and went to sleep. Sayyiduna Umar said: Offering the Fajr prayer in congregation is better in my sight than spending the whole night in worship.

Al-Hasan said: That I should offer the Fajr and Isha prayers in congregation is dearer to me than spending the time between them in worship.