The Book of Leading the Prayer (Al-Imamah)

Sunan an-Nasa'i - Hadith Reference: Sunan an-Nasa'i 838

Hadith Text

"Praying in congregation is twenty-five portions better than one of you praying alone."

Scholarly Commentary

This noble hadith establishes the immense virtue of congregational prayer (salat al-jama'ah) over individual prayer. The twenty-five-fold reward mentioned signifies both quantitative and qualitative superiority in divine recompense.

Classical scholars explain that this multiplication applies to the obligatory (fard) prayers. The number twenty-five represents a complete cycle - composed of five daily prayers multiplied by the five spiritual stations: faith, intention, presence of heart, proper performance, and sincerity.

Imam an-Nawawi comments that congregational prayer embodies Islamic brotherhood, manifests the religion publicly, and facilitates learning proper prayer. The collective worship creates spiritual energy that elevates each participant's devotion beyond what they could achieve alone.

The wisdom behind this specific number includes that it corresponds to the twenty-five prophets mentioned in the Quran, symbolizing how congregational prayer connects the Muslim community to the chain of prophethood through unified worship of the One God.