عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ آمُرَ بِحَطَبٍ فَيُحْطَبَ، ثُمَّ آمُرَ بِالصَّلاَةِ فَيُؤَذَّنَ لَهَا، ثُمَّ آمُرَ رَجُلاً فَيَؤُمَّ النَّاسَ، ثُمَّ أُخَالِفَ إِلَى رِجَالٍ فَأُحَرِّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ بُيُوتَهُمْ، وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوْ يَعْلَمُ أَحَدُهُمْ أَنَّهُ يَجِدُ عَرْقًا سَمِينًا أَوْ مِرْمَاتَيْنِ حَسَنَتَيْنِ لَشَهِدَ الْعِشَاءَ “
Sahih al-Bukhari 644 – Book 10, Hadith 41
Abu Hurairahؓ reported the Messenger of Allahﷺ as saying, “By Him in Whose Hand my soul is I was about to order for collecting firewood (fuel) and then order Someone to pronounce the Adhan for the prayer and then order someone to lead the prayer then I would go from behind and burn the houses of men who did not present themselves for the (compulsory congregational) prayer. By Him, in Whose Hands my soul is, if anyone of them had known that he would get a bone covered with good meat or two (small) pieces of meat present in between two ribs, he would have turned up for the `Isha’ prayer.’
Additional References –
Abu Dawud 548 – Book 2, Hadith 158
Sahih al-Bukhari 2420 – Book 10, Hadith 51
Sahih al-Bukhari 657 – Book 44, Hadith 10
Sahih al-Bukhari 7224 – Book 93, Hadith 83
Ibn Majah 795 – Book 4, Hadith 61
Ibn Majah 791 – Book 4, Hadith 57
Nasa’i 848 – Book 10, Hadith 72
Sahih Muslim 651 – Book 5, Hadith 315
Mishkat al-Masabih 1053 – Book 4, Hadith 471
Reward For Praying At Masjid
It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudriؓ said: “The Messenger of Allahﷺ said: ‘the prayer of a man in congregation is twenty-five levels higher than his prayer in his home.’”
Ibn Majah 788
Go To Masjid Even If You May Miss Congregation
Narrated Abu Hurayrahؓ – The Prophetﷺ said: whoever performs ablution, and performs his ablution perfectly, and then goes to the mosque and finds that the people had finished the prayer (in congregation), Allah will give him a reward like one who prayed in congregation and attended it; The reward of those who prayed in congregation will not be curtailed.
Abu Dawud 564
Praying The Whole Night
Uthman bin Affanؓ narrated that Allah’s Messengerﷺ said: “Whoever attends Isha (prayer) in congregation, then he has (the reward as if he had) stood half of the night. And whoever prays Isha and Fajr in congregation, then he has (the reward as if he had) spend the entire night standing (in prayer).”
Tirmidhi 221 – Book 2, Hadith 73
Imagine we prayed isha in masjid and had the intention of going to masjid for fajr instead we passed away and returned to our Creator that night. What an honor, that would be like going to our Lord while in the state of praying to Him.
سُبحَانَ اللّهِ وَ بِحَمْدِهِ ، سُبحَانَ اللّهِ الْعَظِيم
Glory is to Allahﷻ and all praise is to Him, glory is to Allahﷻ the great
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ سَیِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ وَسَلِّمْ
O Allah, send prayers and peace upon Our Master Muhammadﷺ and his Family
O Allahﷻ guide us like you did your favored ones. And do not let us forget your path ever. Ameen
Praying In Congregation When Away From Masjid
Narrated AbudDardaؓ – I heard the Messenger of Allahﷺ say: If there are three men in a village or in the desert among whom prayer is not offered (in congregation), the devil has got the mastery over them. So observe (prayer) in congregation, for the wolf eats only the straggling animal.
Abu Dawud 547
Praying obligatory (fard) prayers at the mosque is very important for men. Congregation at home is not a replacement and is only permitted with certain conditions. There are many personal and societal benefits from visiting the mosque. It is for this reason that Allah likes for us to be at the mosque regularly.
