This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Hussain bin Mubarak Al-Mawsili's Arabic book Al-Awamer wal-Nawahi, which has been translated into Urdu by Muhammad Sarwar Gohar Sahib under the title Ahkamat o Mamnoaat.
① It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
صلاة الجماعة أفضل من صلاة الفذ بسبع وعشرين درجة
"Congregational prayer has twenty-seven degrees more virtue than the prayer of a person praying alone."
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Adhan 645. Muslim, Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer 650.
② Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه states that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
صلاة الرجل فى جماعة تضعف على صلاته فى بيته وفي سوقه خمسا وعشرين ضعفا، وذلك أنه إذا توضأ فأحسن الوضوء ثم خرج إلى المسجد لا يخرجه إلا الصلاة، لم يخط خطوة إلا رفعت له بها درجة وحط عنه بها خطيئة، فإذا صلى لم تزل الملائكة تصلي عليه ما دام فى مصلاه ما لم يحدث: اللهم صل عليه اللهم ارحمه، ولا يزال فى صلاة ما انتظر الصلاة
"A man's congregational prayer has twenty-five degrees more virtue than his prayer at home or in the market. This is because when he performs ablution properly and then comes to the mosque solely for prayer, every step he takes raises his rank by one degree and erases one sin. When he prays and sits in his place of prayer while still in ablution, the angels continue to pray for mercy upon him: 'O Allah! Shower mercy upon him, O Allah! Have mercy on him.' As long as he waits for the prayer, he remains in the state of prayer in terms of reward."
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Adhan 647. Muslim, Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer 649. Abu Dawood, Book of Prayer 559.
③ Sayyiduna Uthman رضي الله عنه states, I heard the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم say:
من صلى صلاة العشاء فى جماعة فكأنما قام نصف الليل، ومن صلى الصبح فى جماعة فكأنما صلى الليل كله
"Whoever prays the Isha prayer in congregation, it is as if he has stood in prayer for half the night, and whoever prays the Fajr prayer in congregation after that, it is as if he has stood the entire night in prayer."
Reference: Muslim, Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer 656. Abu Dawood, Book of Prayer 555.
④ Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه states that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
ليس صلاة أثقل على المنافقين من صلاة الفجر والعشاء، ولو يعلمون ما فيهما لأتوهما ولو حبوا
"No prayer is heavier upon the hypocrites than the Fajr and Isha prayers. If they knew the reward for them, they would certainly attend both, even if they had to crawl on their hands and knees."
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Adhan 657. Muslim, Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer 651.
⑤ Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه states that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
صلاة مع الإمام أفضل من خمس وعشرين صلاة يصليها وحده
"Prayer performed behind the Imam has twenty-five degrees more virtue than prayer performed alone."
Reference: Muslim, Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer 249. Musnad Ahmad 273/2, 529.
⑥ Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه states that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
من صلى فى مسجد جماعة أربعين ليلة لا تفوته الركعة الأولى من صلاة العشاء كتبت له بها عتاقة من النار
"Whoever prays in congregation for forty days and does not miss the first rak'ah of Isha prayer, he will be given a certificate of salvation from Hellfire because of that."
Reference: Tirmidhi, Book of Prayer 241. Ibn Majah, Book of Mosques and Congregations 798.
⑦ Sayyiduna Abu Darda رضي الله عنه states, I heard the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم say:
ما من ثلاثة فى قرية ولا بدو لا تقام فيهم الصلاة إلا قد استحوذ عليهم الشيطان، فعليك بالجماعة فإنما يأكل الذئب من الغنم القاصية
"If there are three people in a village or town and congregational prayer is not established there, then Satan overcomes them. So hold firmly to the congregation, for the wolf only eats the sheep that strays away from the flock."
Reference: Abu Dawood, Book of Prayer 547. Musnad Ahmad, Musnad al-Ansar 196/5, this narration is Hasan.
① Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud رضي الله عنه states, whoever wishes to meet Allah on the Day of Judgment in the state of Islam, then he should protect these five prayers wherever he is called to them (i.e., congregational prayer in the mosque). Because Allah has prescribed ways of guidance for your Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, and these are among the ways of guidance. If you start praying at home like a person who misses the prayer prays at home, then you will abandon the Sunnah of your Noble Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. And if you abandon the Sunnah of your Noble Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, then you will be misguided. And whoever, having performed proper wudu and purification, intends to go to any of Allah’s mosques, then Allah records for him a good deed for every step he takes, raises him one degree, and erases one sin. And we have seen that only those whose hypocrisy was well-known and apparent would miss the prayer. And it also happened that a person was brought supported by two men and made to stand in the row.
Reference: Muslim, Kitab al-Masajid wa Mawadi' al-Salat 654/257. Abu Dawood, Kitab al-Salat 550. Musnad Ahmad, Musnad al-Mukthirin min al-Sahabah 414/1, 415.
① Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
أثقل الصلاة على المنافقين صلاة العشاء وصلاة الفجر، ولو يعلمون ما فيهما لأتوهما ولو حبوا، ولقد هممت أن آمر بالصلاة فتقام، ثم آمر رجلا فيصلي بالناس، ثم أنطلق معي برجال معهم حزم من حطب إلى قوم لا يشهدون الصلاة، فأحرق عليهم بيوتهم بالنار
“The heaviest prayers upon the hypocrites are the Isha and Fajr prayers. If they knew the reward in these two prayers, they would surely attend them even if they had to crawl on their knees. I intended to order the prayer to be established, then command someone to lead the people in prayer, then I would go with some men carrying bundles of firewood to those who do not attend the prayer and burn them along with their houses.”
Reference: Bukhari, Kitab al-Adhan 657. Muslim, Al-Masajid wa Mawaqi' al-Salat 651/251.
② Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) did not see some people in certain prayers and said:
“Indeed, I intended to order someone to lead the prayer, then go after those who lag behind in prayer and order them to be burned with firewood in their homes. If each of them knew that they would receive thick bones (i.e., with flesh), they would surely come to the prayer.”
Reference: Bukhari, Kitab al-Adhan 644. Muslim, Al-Masajid 651/251.
③ Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
من سمع المنادي فلم يمنعه من اتباعه عذر
“Whoever hears the caller (Mu'adhdhin) and there is no excuse preventing him from following (praying in congregation)”
The Companions (RA) asked: What is the excuse? He (PBUH) said:
خوف أو مرض، لم تقبل منه الصلاة التى صلى
“Fear or illness, then the prayer he performed alone is not accepted.”
Reference: Abu Dawood, Kitab al-Salat 551. Dar Qutni, Kitab al-Salat 421/1, Hadith 6.
