The Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer
كتاب الْمَسَاجِدِ وَمَوَاضِعِ الصَّلاَةِ
Chapter 49: The virtue of offering the obligatory prayers in congregation, the virtue of waiting for prayer and taking many steps towards the masjid, the virtue of walking to the masjid
A man's prayer in congregation is more valuable than twenty degrees and some above them as compared with his prayer in his house and his market, for when he performs ablution doing it well, then goes out to the mosque, and he is impelled (to do so) only by (the love of congregational) prayer, he has no other objective before him but prayer. He does not take a step without being raised a degree for it and having a sin remitted for it, till he enters the mosque, and when he is busy in prayer after having entered the mosque. the angels continue to invoke blessing on him as long as he is in his place of worship. saying: O Allah, show him mercy, and pardon him! Accept his repentance (and the angels continue this supplication for him) so long as he does not do any harm in it, or as long as his ablution is not broken.
The angels invoke blessings on everyone among you so long as he is in a place of worship with these words: O Allah! pardon him, O Allah, have mercy upon him, (and they continue to do so) as long as, he ablution (of the worshipper) is not broken, and one among you is in prayer and so long as he is detained for the prayer.
The servant is constantly in prayer so long as he is in a place of worship waiting for the prayer (to be observed in congregation), and the angels invoke (blessings upon him in these words): O Allah! pardon him. O Allah! show mercy to him, (and they continue to do so) till he returns (from the mosque having completed the prayer) or his ablution breaks. I said: How is the ablution broken? He said: By breaking of the wind noiselessly or with noise.
Chapter 50: The virtue of taking many steps to the masjid
There were some plots vacant around the mosque. Banu Salama decided to shift (to this land) and come near the mosque. This (news) reached the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he said to them (Banu Salama): I have received (information) that you intend to shift near the mosque. They said: Yes, Messenger of Allah, we have taken this decision. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: O Banu Salama, live in your houses, for your steps are recorded; live in your houses, for your steps are recorded.
Chapter 51: Walking to prayer erases sins and raises one in status
He heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: just see, can anything of his filthiness remain (on the body of) any one of you if there were a river at his door in which he washed himself five times daily? They, said: Nothing of his filthiness will remain (on his body). He said: That is like the five prayers by which Allah obliterates sins.
Chapter 52: The virtue of sitting in one’s prayer place after Subh, and the virtue of the masajid
Simak narrated on the authority of Jabir b. Samura that when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed the dawn prayer, he sat at the place of worship till the sun had risen enough.
This hadith has been narrated by Simak with the same chain of transmitters, but no mention has been made of, enough".
Chapter 53: Who is more entitled to lead the prayer
When there are three persons, one of them should lead them. The one among them most worthy to act as Imam is one who is best versed in the Qur'an.
The one who is most versed in Allah's Book should act as Imam for the people, but If they are equally versed in reciting it, then the one who has most knowledge regarding Sunnah if they are equal regarding the Sunnah, then the earliest one to emigrate; it they emigrated at the same time, then the earliest one to embrace Islam. No man must lead another in prayer where (the latter) has authority, or sit in his place of honour in his house, without his permission. Ashajj in his narration used the word," age" in place of" Islam".
A hadith like this has been narrated by A'mash by the same chain of transmitters
We came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and we were all young men of nearly equal age. We stayed with him (the Holy Prophet) for twenty nights, and as the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was extremely kind and tender of heart, he therefore, thought that we were eager (to see) our family (we felt homesick). So he asked us about the members of the family that we had left behind and when we informed him, he said: Go back to your family, stay with them, and teach them (beliefs and practices of Islam) and exhort them to good, and when the time for prayer comes, one amongst you should announce Adhan and then the oldest among you should lead the prayer.
" They both were equal in recitation."
Chapter 54: It is recommended to say qunut in all prayers if a calamity befalls the Muslims – and refuge is sought from Allah (regarding that). It is recommended to say qunut in Subh at all times. And the clarification that it is to be said after raising the head from bowing in the final rak`ah, and it is recommended to say it out loud
" Allah listened to him who praised Him," and he said in Qunut:" 0 Allah! rescue al-Walid b. al-Walid; O Allah! rescue Salama b. Hisham; O Allah! rescue 'Ayyash b. Abu Rabi'a; O Allah! rescue the helpless amongst the Muslims; O Allah! trample Mudar severely; O Allah! cause them a famine like that (which was caused at the time) of Joseph." Abu Huraira (further) said: I saw that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) afterwards abandoned this supplication. I, therefore said: I see the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) abandoning this blessing upon them. It was raid to him (Abu Huraira): Don't you see that (those for whom was blessing invoked by the Holy Prophet) have come (i. e. they have been rescued)?
Chapter 32: The recommendation to delay Zuhr (until it has cooled down) in severe heat for one who finds it too hot in route to join the congregation
This heat is from the exhalation of Hell-fire, so delay the prayer till it is cool.
Chapter 33: It is recommended to pray Zuhr at the beginning of its time when there is no intense heat
The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) used to offer the noon prayer when the sun declined.
Chapter 34: It is recommended to pray `Asr early
We offered the noon prayer with Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz. We then set out till we came to Anas b. Malik and found him busy in saying the afternoon prayer. I said to him: O uncle! which is this prayer that you are offering? He said: It is the afternoon prayer and this is the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that we offered along with him.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led us in the afternoon prayer. When he completed it, a person from Bani Salama came to him and said: Messenger of Allah, we intend to slaughter our came and we are desirous that you should also be present there (on this occasion). He (the Holy Prophet) said: Yes. He (the person) went and we also went along with him and we found that the camel had not been slaughtered yet. Then it was slaughtered, and it was cut into pieces and then some of those were cooked, and then we ate (them) before the setting of the sun. This hadith has also been narrated by another chain of transmitters.
Chapter 35: Stern warning against missing the `Asr prayer
He who misses the afternoon prayer, it is as though he has been deprived of his family and his property.
This hadith has been narrated by Hisham with the same chain of transmitters.
Chapter 37: The virtue of the Subh and the `Asr prayers, and of maintaining them
Angels take turns among you by night and by day, and the rest of the hadith is the same.