The Book of Virtues
كتاب الفضائل
Chapter 9: Excellence of the Morning (Fajr) and 'Asr Prayers
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].
We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when he looked at the full moon and observed, "You will see your Rubb in the Hereafter as you see this moon having no difficulty in seeing it. So try your best to perform the prayers before the rising of the sun and that before its setting."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who misses the 'Asr Salat (deliberately), his deeds will be rendered nul and void."[Al- Bukhari].
Chapter 10: The Excellence of Proceeding towards the Mosque Walking
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who goes to the mosque in the morning or in the evening, Allah prepares for him a place in Jannah whenever he goes to the mosque in the morning and returns from it in the evening."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who purifies (performs Wudu') himself in his house and then walks to one of the houses of Allah (mosque) for performing an obligatory Salat, one step of his will wipe out his sins and another step will elevate his rank (in Jannah)."[Muslim].
There was a man of the Ansar whose house was the farthest from the mosque. As far as I know, he never missed Salat (in congregation). It was said to him: "If you buy a donkey, you may ride upon it in the dark nights and in the hot days." He said: "I do not like that my house should be situated close to the mosque. I desire that my walking towards the mosque and returning home be recorded to my credit." Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah has gathered all (rewards) for you."[Muslim].
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, "The person who will receive the highest reward for Salat (prayer) is the one who comes to perform it in the mosque from the farthest distance. And he who waits for Salat to perform it with the Imam (in congregation) will have a greater reward than the one who observes it alone and then goes to sleep."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Convey glad tidings to those who walk to the mosque in the darkness. For they will be given full light on the Day of Resurrection."[At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud].
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Shall I not tell you something by which Allah effaces the sins and elevates the ranks (in Jannah)." The Companions said: "Yes (please tell us), O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Performing the Wudu' properly in spite of difficult circumstances, walking with more paces to the mosque, and waiting for the next Salat (prayer) after a observing Salat; and that is Ar-Ribat, and that is Ar-Ribat."[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)
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Everyone among you will be deemed to be occupied in Salat (prayer) constantly so long as Salat (the prayer) detains him (from worldly concerns), and nothing prevents him from returning to his family but Salat."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The angels supplicate in favour of one of you so long as he remains in the place where he has performed Salat (prayer) in a state of Wudu'. They (the angels) say: 'O Allah! Forgive him, O Allah! Have mercy on him."'[Al- Bukhari].
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, "Salat in congregation is twenty-seven times more meritorious than a Salat performed individually."[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].
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].
A blind man came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! I have no one to guide me to the mosque." He, therefore, sought his permission to perform Salat (prayer) in his house. He (ﷺ) granted him permission. When the man turned away, he called him back, and said, "Do you hear the Adhan (call to prayer)?" He replied in the affirmative. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then directed him to respond to it.[Muslim].
I said to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "There are many poisonous insects and wild beasts in Al-Madinah, and I am blind. Please grant me permission to perform Salat at home." He (ﷺ) enquired whether he could hear the call: Hayya 'alas-Salah; Hayya 'alal-Falah (Come to the prayer, come to the salvation). When he replied in affirmative, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) directed him to come (to mosque) for prayer."[Abu Dawud].
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "By Him in Whose Hand my life is, I sometimes thought of giving orders for firewood to be collected, then for proclaiming the Adhan for Salat. Then I would appoint an Imam to lead Salat, and then go to the houses of those who do not come to perform Salat in congregation, and set fire to their houses on them."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
He who likes to meet Allah tomorrow (i.e., on the Day of Requital) as a Muslim, should take care and observe the Salat when the Adhan is announced for them. Allah has expounded to your Prophet (ﷺ) the ways of right guidance, and these (the prayers) are part of the right guidance. If you have to perform Salat in your houses, as this man who stays away (from the mosque) and performs Salat in his house, you will abandon the Sunnah (practice) of your Prophet (ﷺ), and the departure from the Sunnah of your Prophet (ﷺ) will lead you astray. I have seen the time when no one stayed behind except a well-known hypocrite. I also saw that a man was brought swaying (on account of weakness) between two men till he was set up in a row (in the mosque).[Muslim].