Reaping Reward Fast: Praying in Congregation in Masjids

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

We, as the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant him peace) has a short life span compared to the other nations before us. The average age of this Ummah is sixty to seventy; have a look at following narration:

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “The lifespan of my Ummah is from sixty to seventy (years).” [Hadith No. 2331, Chapters on Zuhd, Jami’ At-Tirmidhi, Vol. 4]

Narrated Aisha (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) died when he was sixty-three years of age. (Hadith No. 4466, Book of Al-Maghazi, Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 5).

Remember, death is certain and it will overtake us at any time. Allah Almighty says,

إِنَّ اللَّـهَ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْأَرْ‌حَامِ ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِ‌ي نَفْسٌ مَّاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِ‌ي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْ‌ضٍ تَمُوتُ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ‌ ﴿٣٤

Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour and sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul perceives in what land it will die. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted. (34) [Qur'an, Luqman 31:34]

It is by the great mercy of Allah that He multiplies the rewards of each of our good deeds even though we could be doing much less good deeds compared to the other nations before us by virtue of their longer life span. Who among us don't need this mercy and reward?

Praying in congregation (jamaa'ah) in the masjid is a great way to earn the mercy from Allah and reap the reward fast.

It was narrated that Ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Whoever would like to meet Allah tomorrow as a Muslim, let him regularly perform these prayers when the call for them is given, for they are among the ways of guidance. Allah has prescribed for your Prophet ways of guidance, and if you pray in your homes, as this one who stays away from the prayers prays in his home, then you will have abandoned the way of your Prophet, and if you abandon the way of your Prophet you will go astray. There is no man who purifies himself and does it well, then he goes to one of these masjids, but for every step he takes, Allah will record for him one hasanah (good deed) and will raise him thereby one degree in status, and will erase for him one sayi’ah (bad deed). I saw us (at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)) and no one stayed behind from these prayers except a hypocrite who was known for his hypocrisy. A man would come supported by two others so that he could stand in the row.

According to another version, he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught us the ways of guidance, and told us that one of the way of guidance is to pray in the mosque when the call to prayer is given.

[Narrated by Muslim, 654]

1. Superiority of praying in congregation

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace said, “Prayer in congregation is superior to prayer alone by twenty seven degrees.” [Bukhari & Muslim, from Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with him)]

The fuqaha’ (may Allah have mercy on them) differed concerning the ruling on congregational prayers. There are a number of opinions, the most sound of which is that prayer in congregation in the masjid is obligatory. This applies if the Muslim is accountable, male, able to do it and can hear the adhan (call to prayer).

Allah Almighty says,

وَإِذَا كُنتَ فِيهِمْ فَأَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ الصَّلَاةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَائِفَةٌ مِّنْهُم مَّعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوا أَسْلِحَتَهُمْ فَإِذَا سَجَدُوا فَلْيَكُونُوا مِن وَرَ‌ائِكُمْ وَلْتَأْتِ طَائِفَةٌ أُخْرَ‌ىٰ لَمْ يُصَلُّوا فَلْيُصَلُّوا مَعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوا حِذْرَ‌هُمْ وَأَسْلِحَتَهُمْ

And when you are among them and lead them in prayer, let a group of them stand [in prayer] with you and let them carry their arms. And when they have prostrated, let them be [in position] behind you and have the other group come forward which has not [yet] prayed and let them pray with you, taking precaution and carrying their arms... [Qur'an, al-Nisa’ 4:102]

As Allah has enjoined prayer in congregation in the battlefield, so it is more appropriate that it is obligatory at times of stability and peace.

This is also indicated by the fact that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) thought of burning down the houses of those who prayed at home, even though they may have prayed in congregation.

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “I was thinking of ordering that the iqaamah for prayer be given, then I would tell a man to lead the people in prayer, and I would set out with men carrying bundles of firewood, and go to people who do not attend the prayer and burn their houses down around them.” [Narrated by al-Bukhari (657) and Muslim (651)]

This clearly indicates that there is no excuse for men to make a congregation at home or other places if they have a masjid near them and it is possible for them to pray in one.

There is no comparison between prayer in congregation at home and prayer in congregation in the masjid. The reward and virtue come from praying in congregation in the masjid. The one who does not pray in congregation in the masjid and chooses to pray in congregation at home or in the workplace or school does not attain the reward of praying in congregation in the masjid, if he is free from sin in the first place.

A Muslim may be excused for not praying in congregation in the masjid, such as if he is far away and the sound of the adhan in its natural form does not reach him, or he is sick, or afraid. If that is the case, then he should pray in congregation with the members of his family who are not obliged to pray in congregation, or those who have a similar excuse. Here it is valid to differentiate between the congregation in the masjid and the congregation of these people in terms of numbers. The congregation that is greater in number is more beloved to Allah – and we shall quote the relevant hadeeth below – but there is no room for comparison of other rewards, such as the number of steps that the worshiper takes to the mosque, or coming early to pray, and Allah preparing a welcome in Paradise every time he comes and goes, and so on. These rewards are denied to the one who prays in his house, unless he is one who regularly prays in the mosque but is kept from doing so by sickness or some other reason, in which case a reward will be decreed for him like that which he used to do, as is stated in a saheeh hadeeth from the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace).

For the one who is excused, the reward will be decreed if it was his habit to pray in congregation, because the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “If a person falls sick or travels, there will be decreed for him a reward like that for what he used to do when he was healthy or not traveling.” Al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (4/323).

If a man does not have anyone to pray with, he may pray alone, but the more people who pray, the dearer that is to Allah.

If a person deliberately misses the first jamaa’ah (prayer in congregation), he is sinning, but his praying in congregation is better than his praying alone, although he will not have the reward of the first jamaa’ah

Those who delay it without any excuse and aim to pray with the second or third jamaa’ah – as happens in some marketplace mosques – are sinning by deliberately missing the first jamaa’ah, and they are deprived of the reward even if they pray in congregation with a group that is larger than the first jamaa’ah.

The twenty-seven-fold reward applies only to the first jamaa’ah. Otherwise people would go to the masjid whenever they wanted, and they would pray in congregation and say, We have gotten the twenty-seven-fold reward. As for the second jamaa’ah, undoubtedly praying in congregation is better than praying individually, because the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said concerning a man who entered the masjid and had missed the prayer: “Who will give charity to this man and pray with him?” and one of the people got up and prayed with him. And he (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “A man’s praying with two other men is better than his praying with one other man, and the more there are, the more beloved that is to Allah, may He be glorified and exalted.”

But if a person is late because of an excuse, and he enters the masjid when the prayer had ended, then the reward for praying in congregation will be decreed for him even if he prays alone.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “If a person does wudu’ and does it well, then sets out for the masjid but finds that the people have already prayed, Allah will decree for him a reward like that of those who prayed and were present, and that will not detract anything from their reward.”

[Abu Dawood (564), al-Nasaa’i (855); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

Although this applies if the delay did not stem from any shortcoming.

2. A place in Jannah for those who attend the masjid morning and evening

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "He who goes to the masjid 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.'' [Bukhari & Muslim]

3. Reward for every step taken to the masjid

Abu Hurayrah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) reported: The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "He who purifies (performs Wudu') himself in his house and then walks to one of the houses of Allah (masjid) for performing an obligatory Solat, one step of his will wipe out his sins and another step will elevate his rank (in Jannah).'' [Muslim].

4. Greatest reward for one who lives furthest from masjid

Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "The person who will receive the highest reward for Solat (prayer) is the one who comes to perform it in the masjid from the farthest distance. And he who waits for Solat 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.'' [Bukhari & Muslim].

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (SAllah bless him and grant him peace) 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 masjid, and waiting for the next Solat (prayer) after a observing Solat; and that is Ar-Ribat, and that is Ar-Ribat.'' [Muslim].

So, if you live far away from the masjid, do not miss this opportunity to earn a greater reward by praying in the masjid.

5. Glad tidings for one who goes at the masjid for Isha and Fajr

Buraidah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (SAllah bless him and grant him peace) said, "Convey glad tidings to those who walk to the masjid in the darkness. For they will be given full light on the Day of Resurrection.'' [At-Tirmidhi & Abu Dawud].

'Uthman ibn 'Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I heard the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace): 'If someone prays 'Isha' in a congregation, it is as if he had prayed half of the night. If someone prays Subh in a congregation, it is as if he had prayed the entire night.'" [Muslim]

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), said, "And if they only knew what was in the prayers of 'Isha' and Subh, they would come to them even if they had to crawl." [Agreed upon]

Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "There is no prayer heavier on the hypocrites than Fajr and 'Isha'. If they only knew what is in them, they would come to them even if they had to crawl." [Agreed upon]

6. The one who attends masjid night & day is a true believer

Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "When you see a man frequenting the masjid, testify that he is a believer because Allah says: `Allah's masjids are visited only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day.'''[At-Tirmidhi].

May Allah make us among those who love the masjid and observe congregational prayers. Ameen.

And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

Wassalaam