The Book of Leading the Prayer (Al-Imamah)

"‏ صَلاَةُ الْجَمَاعَةِ تَفْضُلُ عَلَى صَلاَةِ الْفَذِّ بِسَبْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ دَرَجَةً ‏"

"Praying in congregation is twenty-seven times better than praying alone."

"‏ صَلاَةُ الْجَمَاعَةِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلاَةِ أَحَدِكُمْ وَحْدَهُ خَمْسًا وَعِشْرِينَ جُزْءًا ‏"

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

"‏ صَلاَةُ الْجَمَاعَةِ تَزِيدُ عَلَى صَلاَةِ الْفَذِّ خَمْسًا وَعِشْرِينَ دَرَجَةً ‏"

"Prayer in congregation is twenty-five levels better than a prayer offered on one's own."

"‏ إِذَا كَانُوا ثَلاَثَةً فَلْيَؤُمَّهُمْ أَحَدُهُمْ وَأَحَقُّهُمْ بِالإِمَامَةِ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ ‏"

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)said: 'If there are three people, let one of them lead the others in prayer, and the one who has the most right to lead the prayer is the one who recites (knows) the most (Qur'an)."'

أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجٌ، قَالَ ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ أَخْبَرَنِي زِيَادٌ، أَنَّ قَزَعَةَ، مَوْلًى لِعَبْدِ الْقَيْسِ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ، سَمِعَ عِكْرِمَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ صَلَّيْتُ إِلَى جَنْبِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَعَائِشَةُ خَلْفَنَا تُصَلِّي مَعَنَا وَأَنَا إِلَى جَنْبِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أُصَلِّي مَعَهُ ‏.‏

"I prayed beside the Prophet (ﷺ) and Aisha was behind us praying with us, and I was beside the Prophet (ﷺ) praying with him."

أَخْبَرَنَا سُوَيْدُ بْنُ نَصْرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ أَبِي سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقُمْتُ عَنْ يَسَارِهِ فَأَخَذَنِي بِيَدِهِ الْيُسْرَى فَأَقَامَنِي عَنْ يَمِينِهِ ‏.‏

"I prayed with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)and I stood on his left. He took hold of me with his left hand and made me stand on his right."

أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، أَنَّهُ أَخْبَرَهُمْ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، - قَالَ شُعْبَةُ وَقَالَ أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ وَقَدْ سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْهُ، وَمِنْ أَبِيهِ - قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أُبَىَّ بْنَ كَعْبٍ، يَقُولُ صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَوْمًا صَلاَةَ الصُّبْحِ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ أَشَهِدَ فُلاَنٌ الصَّلاَةَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا لاَ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ فَفُلاَنٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا لاَ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ إِنَّ هَاتَيْنِ الصَّلاَتَيْنِ مِنْ أَثْقَلِ الصَّلاَةِ عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِيهِمَا لأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا وَالصَّفُّ الأَوَّلُ عَلَى مِثْلِ صَفِّ الْمَلاَئِكَةِ وَلَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ فَضِيلَتَهُ لاَبْتَدَرْتُمُوهُ وَصَلاَةُ الرَّجُلِ مَعَ الرَّجُلِ أَزْكَى مِنْ صَلاَتِهِ وَحْدَهُ وَصَلاَةُ الرَّجُلِ مَعَ الرَّجُلَيْنِ أَزْكَى مِنْ صَلاَتِهِ مَعَ الرَّجُلِ وَمَا كَانُوا أَكْثَرَ فَهُوَ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

"One day the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed Fajr, then he said: 'Did so-and-so attend the prayer? They said: 'No.' He said: '(What about) so-and-so? They said:'No' He said: 'These two prayers. are the most burdensome for the hypocrites. If they knew what (virtue) there is in them, they would come, even if they had to crawl. And the virtue of the first row is like that of the row of the angels. If you knew its virtue, you would compete for it. A man's prayer with another man is greater in reward than his prayer alone. And a man's prayer with two other men is greater in reward than his prayer with one other man; the more people there are, the more beloved that is to Allah, the Mighty and Sublime."'

أَخْبَرَنَا نَصْرُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا عَبْدُ الأَعْلَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ مَحْمُودٍ، عَنْ عِتْبَانَ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ السُّيُولَ لَتَحُولُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ مَسْجِدِ قَوْمِي فَأُحِبُّ أَنْ تَأْتِيَنِي فَتُصَلِّيَ فِي مَكَانٍ مِنْ بَيْتِي أَتَّخِذُهُ مَسْجِدًا ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ سَنَفْعَلُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ أَيْنَ تُرِيدُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَأَشَرْتُ إِلَى نَاحِيَةٍ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَصَفَفْنَا خَلْفَهُ فَصَلَّى بِنَا رَكْعَتَيْنِ ‏.‏

"0 Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) the floods keep me from coming to the Masjid of my people. I would like you to come and pray in a place in my house so that I can take it as a Masjid." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "We shall do that." "When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered he said: 'Where do you want (me to pray).' I showed him a comer of the house, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood there, and we formed rows behind him, and he led us in praying two Rak'ahs."

"‏ أَقِيمُوا صُفُوفَكُمْ وَتَرَاصُّوا فَإِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ مِنْ وَرَاءِ ظَهْرِي ‏"

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) turned to face us when he stood up to pray, before he said Takbir, and said: 'Make your rows straight and fill the gaps, for I can see you from behind my back."'

أَخْبَرَنَا هَنَّادُ بْنُ السَّرِيِّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو زُبَيْدٍ، - وَاسْمُهُ عَبْثَرُ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ - عَنْ حُصَيْنٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذْ قَالَ بَعْضُ الْقَوْمِ لَوْ عَرَّسْتَ بِنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ إِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ تَنَامُوا عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ بِلاَلٌ أَنَا أَحْفَظُكُمْ ‏.‏ فَاضْطَجَعُوا فَنَامُوا وَأَسْنَدَ بِلاَلٌ ظَهْرَهُ إِلَى رَاحِلَتِهِ فَاسْتَيْقَظَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَقَدْ طَلَعَ حَاجِبُ الشَّمْسِ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ يَا بِلاَلُ أَيْنَ مَا قُلْتَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ مَا أُلْقِيَتْ عَلَىَّ نَوْمَةٌ مِثْلُهَا قَطُّ ‏.‏ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَبَضَ أَرْوَاحَكُمْ حِينَ شَاءَ فَرَدَّهَا حِينَ شَاءَ قُمْ يَا بِلاَلُ فَآذِنِ النَّاسَ بِالصَّلاَةِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَامَ بِلاَلٌ فَأَذَّنَ فَتَوَضَّئُوا - يَعْنِي حِينَ ارْتَفَعَتِ الشَّمْسُ - ثُمَّ قَامَ فَصَلَّى بِهِمْ ‏.‏

"We were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when some of the people said: 'Why do you not stop with us to rest awhile, 0 Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)?' He said: 'I am afraid that you will sleep and miss the prayer.' Bilal said:'I will wake you up.' So they lay down and slept, and Bilal leaned back on his mount. Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) woke up when the sun had already started to rise, and he said: '0 Bilal, what about what you told us?' He said: 'I have never slept like that before.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, takes your souls when He wills and sends them back when He wills.' Stand up 0 Bilal and call the people to prayer.' Then Bilal stood up and & called the Adhan, and they performed Wudu' - that is, when the sun had risen (fully) - "then he stood and lead them in prayer."