The Book of Virtues
كتاب الفضائل
Chapter 1: The Excellence of Reciting the Qur'an
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "Read the Qur'an, for it will come as an intercessor for its reciters on the Day of Resurrection."[Muslim].
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The believer who recites the Qur'an is like a citron whose fragrance is sweet and whose taste is delicious. A believer who does not recite the Qur'an is like a date-fruit which has no fragrance but has a sweet taste. The hypocrite who recites the Qur'an is like basil whose fragrance is so sweet, but its taste is bitter. The hypocrite who does not recite the Qur'an is like a colocynth which has no fragrance and its taste is bitter."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Chapter 2: Warning against forgetting the Qur'an
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "The parable of one who knows the Qur'an by heart is as the parable of an owner of hobbled camel. If he remains vigilant, he will retain it; and if he neglects it, it will go away."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Chapter 3: The Merit of Recitation of the Noble Qur'an in a Pleasant Voice
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "Allah does not listen so attentively to anything as He listens to the recitation of the Qur'an by a Prophet who recites well with a melodious and audible voice."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) reciting Surat Wat-Teen Waz-Zaitun (Chapter 95) during the 'Isha' prayer. I have never heard anyone reciting it in a more beautiful voice than his.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Chapter 4: Inducement towards the Recitation of some Special verses and Surah of the Noble Qur'an
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Shall I teach you the greatest Surah in the Qur'an before you leave the mosque?" Then he (ﷺ), took me by the hand, and when we were about to step out, I reminded him of his promise to teach me the greatest Surah in the Qur'an. He (ﷺ) said, "It is 'Alhamdu lillahi Rabbil 'Alamin (i.e., Surat Al-Fatihah) which is As-Sab' Al-Mathani (i.e., the seven oft- repeated Ayat) and the Great Qur'an which is given to me."[Al-Bukhari].
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Surat Ikhlas is equivalent to one-third of the Qur'an."[Muslim].
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "There is a Surah in the Qur'an which contains thirty Ayat which kept interceding for a man until his sins are forgiven. This Surah is 'Blessed is He in Whose Hand is the dominion.' (Surat Al-Mulk 67)."[At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud].
Chapter 5: Desirability of Assembling for the Recitation of the Noble Qur'an
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Any group of people that assemble in one of the Houses of Allah to recite the Book of Allah, learning and teaching it, tranquility will descend upon them, mercy will engulf them, angels will surround them and Allah will make mention of them to those (the angels) in His proximity."[Muslim].
Chapter 6: The Merits of Ablutions (Wudu')
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: "On the Day of Resurrection, my followers (or Ummah) will be summoned 'Al-Ghurr Al-Muhajjalun' from the traces of Wudu'. Whoever can increase the area of his radiance should do so."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When a Muslim, or a believer, washes his face (in the course of Wudu'), every sin which he committed with his eyes, will be washed away from his face with water, or with the last drop of water; when he washes his hands, every sin which is committed by his hands will be effaced from his hands with the water, or with the last drop of water; and when he washes his feet, every sin his feet committed will be washed away with the water, or with the last drop of water; until he finally emerges cleansed of all his sins."[Muslim].
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Whoever of you performs Wudu' carefully and then affirms: 'Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallahu Wahdahu la sharika Lahu, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa Rasuluhu [I testify that there so no true god except Allah Alone, Who has no partners and that Muhammad ((ﷺ) is His slave and Messenger],' the eight gates of Jannah are opened for him. He may enter through whichever of these gates he desires (to enter)."[Muslim].In the narration in At- Tirmidhi, it is added: "Allahummaj-'alni minat-tawwabina, waj-'alni minal-mutatahhirin (O Allah make me among those who repent and purify themselves)."
Chapter 7: The Excellence of Adhan
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When Adhan for Salat is pronounced, the devil takes to his heels and breaks wind with noise so as not to hear the call. When the Adhan is finished, he returns. When the Iqamah is announced, he turns his back, and after it is finished, he returns again to distract the attention of one and makes him remember things which he does not recall in his mind before the Salat, and says 'Remember this, and this,' and thus causes one to forget how many Rak'at he performed."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Chapter 8: The Excellence of As-Salat (The Prayer)
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "Say, if there were a river at the door of one of you in which he takes a bath five times a day, would any soiling remain on him?" They replied, "No soiling would left on him." He (ﷺ) said, " That is the five (obligatory) Salat (prayers). Allah obliterates all sins as a result of performing them."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Chapter 9: Excellence of the Morning (Fajr) and 'Asr Prayers
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who offers the dawn (Fajr) prayers will come under the Protection of Allah. O son of Adam! Beware, lest Allah should call you to account in any respect from (for withdrawing) His Protection."[Muslim].
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "There are angels who take turns in visiting you by night and by day, and they all assemble at the dawn (Fajr) and the afternoon ('Asr) prayers. Those who have spent the night with you, ascend to the heaven and their Rubb, Who knows better about them, asks: 'In what condition did you leave My slaves?' They reply: 'We left them while they were performing Salat and we went to them while they were performing Salat."'[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Chapter 10: The Excellence of Proceeding towards the Mosque Walking
There were some plots of land lying vacant around the mosque. The people of Banu Salamah decided to move to this land and come nearer to the mosque. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) heard about it and said to them, "I have heard that you intend to move near the mosque." They said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah! We have decided to do that." Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "O Banu Salamah! Stay in your houses, because your footprints (when you come to the mosque) will be recorded." He said this twice. They said: "We would not have liked it, had we moved near the mosque."[Muslim].
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When you see a man frequenting the mosque, testify that he is a believer because Allah says: 'Allah's mosques are visited only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day."'[At-Tirmidhi].
Chapter 11: The Excellence of waiting for As-Salat (The Prayer)
Once the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) delayed the night prayer ('Isha') till midnight. He (ﷺ) turned to us after Salat (prayer) and said, "The people slept after performing their Salat, but you who waited, will be accounted as engaged in Salat throughout the period of your waiting."[Al-Bukhari].
Chapter 12: The Excellence of Performing Salat (Prayers) in Congregation
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "A man's Salat in congregation is twenty-five times more rewarding than his Salat at home or in his shop, and that is because when he performs his Wudu' properly and proceeds towards the mosque with the purpose of performing Salat in congregation, he does not take a step without being raised a degree (in rank) for it and having a sin remitted for it, till he enters the mosque. When he is performing Salat, the angels continue to invoke Blessings of Allah on him as long as he is in his place of worship in a state of Wudu'. They say: 'O Allah! Have mercy on him! O Allah! Forgive him.' He is deemed to be engaged in Salat as long as he waits for it."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].