The Book On The Mosques And The Congregations

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْرَائِيلُ، عَنْ سِمَاكٍ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ كَانَتِ الأَنْصَارُ بَعِيدَةً مَنَازِلُهُمْ مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ فَأَرَادُوا أَنْ يَقْتَرِبُوا فَنَزَلَتْ ‏ {وَنَكْتُبُ مَا قَدَّمُوا وَآثَارَهُمْ} ‏ قَالَ فَثَبَتُوا ‏.‏

"The houses of the Ansar were far from the mosque and they wanted to move closer. Then the following Verse was revealed: 'We record that which they send before (them), and their traces.'" [Ya-Sin: 12] He said: So they remained (where they were)."

"‏ صَلاَةُ الرَّجُلِ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ تَزِيدُ عَلَى صَلاَتِهِ فِي بَيْتِهِ وَصَلاَتِهِ فِي سُوقِهِ بِضْعًا وَعِشْرِينَ دَرَجَةً ‏"

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'A man's prayer in congregation is twenty-some levels higher than his prayer in his house or in the marketplace.'"

"‏ فَضْلُ الْجَمَاعَةِ عَلَى صَلاَةِ أَحَدِكُمْ وَحْدَهُ خَمْسٌ وَعِشْرُونَ جُزْءًا ‏"

The Messenger of Allah said: "The prayer in congregation is twenty-five times more virtuous than the prayer of anyone of you on his own."

"‏ صَلاَةُ الرَّجُلِ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ تَزِيدُ عَلَى صَلاَتِهِ فِي بَيْتِهِ خَمْسًا وَعِشْرِينَ دَرَجَةً ‏"

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'the prayer of a man in congregation is twenty-five levels higher than his prayer in his home.'"

"‏ صَلاَةُ الرَّجُلِ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ تَفْضُلُ عَلَى صَلاَةِ الرَّجُلِ وَحْدَهُ بِسَبْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ دَرَجَةً ‏"

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'The prayer of a man in congregation is twenty-seven levels more virtuous than a man's prayer on his own.'"

"‏ صَلاَةُ الرَّجُلِ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ تَزِيدُ عَلَى صَلاَةِ الرَّجُلِ وَحْدَهُ أَرْبَعًا وَعِشْرِينَ أَوْ خَمْسًا وَعِشْرِينَ دَرَجَةً ‏"

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'The prayer of a man in congregation is higher than his prayer on his own by twenty-four or twenty-five levels."

"‏ لَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ آمُرَ بِالصَّلاَةِ فَتُقَامَ ثُمَّ آمُرَ رَجُلاً فَيُصَلِّيَ بِالنَّاسِ ثُمَّ أَنْطَلِقَ بِرِجَالٍ مَعَهُمْ حُزَمٌ مِنْ حَطَبٍ إِلَى قَوْمٍ لاَ يَشْهَدُونَ الصَّلاَةَ فَأُحَرِّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ بُيُوتَهُمْ بِالنَّارِ ‏"

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'I was thinking of commanding that the call to prayer be given, then I would tell a man to lead the people in prayer, then I would go out with some other men carrying bundles of wood, and go to people who do not attend the prayer, and burn their houses down around them.'"

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ زَائِدَةَ، عَنْ عَاصِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي رَزِينٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لِلنَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ إِنِّي كَبِيرٌ ضَرِيرٌ شَاسِعُ الدَّارِ وَلَيْسَ لِي قَائِدٌ يُلاَوِمُنِي فَهَلْ تَجِدُ لِي مِنْ رُخْصَةٍ قَالَ ‏"‏ هَلْ تَسْمَعُ النِّدَاءَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ مَا أَجِدُ لَكَ رُخْصَةً ‏"‏ ‏.‏

"I said to the Prophet: 'I am an old man and blind; my house is far away, and I have no one to lead me. Is there any concession (for me not to have to attend the prayer in the mosque)?' He said: 'Can you hear the call?' I said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Then I do not find any concession for you.'"

"‏ مَنْ سَمِعَ النِّدَاءَ فَلَمْ يَأْتِهِ فَلاَ صَلاَةَ لَهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ عُذْرٍ ‏"

The Prophet said: "Whoever hears the call and does not come, his prayer is not valid, except for those who have an excuse."

"‏ لَيَنْتَهِيَنَّ أَقْوَامٌ عَنْ وَدْعِهِمُ الْجَمَاعَاتِ أَوْ لَيَخْتِمَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ ثُمَّ لَيَكُونُنَّ مِنَ الْغَافِلِينَ ‏"

They heard the Prophet say on his pulpit: "People should desist from failing to attend the congregations, otherwise Allah will seal their hearts, and they will be among the negligent."