صحيح مسلم
Muslim
كتاب المساجد ومواضع الصلاةThe Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer
باب صَلاَةُ الْجَمَاعَةِ مِنْ سُنَنِ الْهُدَى:Chapter: Prayer in congregation is one of the sunnah of guidance
Hadith 654
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ الْعَبْدِيُّ ، حَدَّثَنَا زَكَرِيَّاءُ بْنُ أَبِي زَائِدَةَ ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ عُمَيْرٍ ، عَنْ أَبِي الأَحْوَصِ ، قَالَ : قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ : " لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنَا وَمَا يَتَخَلَّفُ عَنَ الصَّلَاةِ ، إِلَّا مُنَافِقٌ قَدْ عُلِمَ نِفَاقُهُ ، أَوْ مَرِيضٌ ، إِنْ كَانَ الْمَرِيضُ لَيَمْشِي بَيْنَ رَجُلَيْنِ ، حَتَّى ي?أْتِيَ الصَّلَاةَ ، وَقَالَ : إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، عَلَّمَنَا سُنَنَ الْهُدَى ، وَإِنَّ مِنْ سُنَنِ الْهُدَى الصَّلَاةَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ ، الَّذِي يُؤَذَّنُ فِيهِ " .
'Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) reported: I have seen the time when no one stayed away from prayer except a hypocrite, whose hypocrisy was well known, or a sick man, but it a sick man could walk between two persons (i. e. with the help of two persons with one on each side) he would come to prayer. And (further) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught us the paths of right guidance among which is prayer in the mosque in which the Adzan is called.
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حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ ، حَدَّثَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ دُكَيْنٍ ، عَنْ أَبِي الْعُمَيْسِ ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الأَقْمَرِ ، عَنْ أَبِي الأَحْوَصِ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، قَالَ : " مَنْ سَرَّهُ ، أَنْ يَلْقَى اللَّهَ غَدًا مُسْلِمًا ، فَلْيُحَافِظْ عَلَى هَؤُلَاءِ الصَّلَوَاتِ ، حَيْثُ يُنَادَى بِهِنَّ ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ شَرَعَ لِنَبِيِّكُمْ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، 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 ، إِلَّا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بِكُلِّ خَطْوَةٍ يَخْطُوهَا حَسَنَةً ، وَيَرْفَعُهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً ، وَيَحُطُّ عَنْهُ بِهَا سَيِّئَةً ، وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنَا وَمَا يَتَخَلَّفُ عَنْهَا ، إِلَّا مُنَافِقٌ مَعْلُومُ النِّفَاقِ ، وَلَقَدْ كَانَ الرَّجُلُ يُؤْتَى بِهِ ، يُهَادَى بَيْنَ الرَّجُلَيْنِ ، حَتَّى يُقَامَ فِي الصَّفِّ " .
'Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) reported: 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 (ﷺ) 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.
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Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi
Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: (1)
In the golden era of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, all the noble Companions radi Allahu anhum ajma'in were diligent in attending the congregational prayer (jama'ah). No true Muslim would even conceive of staying behind from the congregation. Even in the case of illness, if a person could reach the mosque with the support of two people, arrangements would be made for that as well, and they would not use illness as an excuse to stay behind from the congregation, even in severe sickness. Only those people would stay behind whose hypocrisy was well-known and manifest, or those who were so ill that they could not come even with the support of two people. For this reason, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not grant permission to Abdullah bin Umm Maktum radi Allahu ta'ala anhu to stay behind from the congregation despite his being blind.
(According to Abdullah bin Mas'ud radi Allahu ta'ala anhu, being diligent in the congregation is a sign and distinguishing mark of a Muslim.)
And it is the path of guidance and the methodology of the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. To neglect the congregation is to abandon guidance and the path of the Prophet, and to choose the path of misguidance.
(3)
For the sake of attending the congregation, every step taken towards the mosque earns a person a good deed, erases a sin, and raises him one degree. The one who stays behind from the congregation is deprived of all three of these blessings and bounties.
(4)
Staying behind from the congregation is a sign of hypocrisy, and every Muslim should strive to remain protected from this stain in every circumstance. If a blind person is not permitted to pray at home, then how can a sighted person pray at home?
In the golden era of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, all the noble Companions radi Allahu anhum ajma'in were diligent in attending the congregational prayer (jama'ah). No true Muslim would even conceive of staying behind from the congregation. Even in the case of illness, if a person could reach the mosque with the support of two people, arrangements would be made for that as well, and they would not use illness as an excuse to stay behind from the congregation, even in severe sickness. Only those people would stay behind whose hypocrisy was well-known and manifest, or those who were so ill that they could not come even with the support of two people. For this reason, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not grant permission to Abdullah bin Umm Maktum radi Allahu ta'ala anhu to stay behind from the congregation despite his being blind.
(According to Abdullah bin Mas'ud radi Allahu ta'ala anhu, being diligent in the congregation is a sign and distinguishing mark of a Muslim.)
And it is the path of guidance and the methodology of the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. To neglect the congregation is to abandon guidance and the path of the Prophet, and to choose the path of misguidance.
(3)
For the sake of attending the congregation, every step taken towards the mosque earns a person a good deed, erases a sin, and raises him one degree. The one who stays behind from the congregation is deprived of all three of these blessings and bounties.
(4)
Staying behind from the congregation is a sign of hypocrisy, and every Muslim should strive to remain protected from this stain in every circumstance. If a blind person is not permitted to pray at home, then how can a sighted person pray at home?
Source: Tuhfat al-Muslim: Commentary on Sahih Muslim, Page: 1488
Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi
550. Commentary:
➊ Lagging behind from the congregation has been described as one of the signs of the hypocrites, and this is even more serious than being a major sin (kabirah).
➋ The consequence of turning away from the Sunnahs of the Noble Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) can ultimately lead to disbelief (kufr). «أعاذنا الله منه»
➊ Lagging behind from the congregation has been described as one of the signs of the hypocrites, and this is even more serious than being a major sin (kabirah).
➋ The consequence of turning away from the Sunnahs of the Noble Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) can ultimately lead to disbelief (kufr). «أعاذنا الله منه»
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood – Commentary by Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi, Page: 550
