Al-Nawawi on congregational prayer

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Al-Nawawi records in his book Riyad us-Saliheen:

Abdullah ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

صَلَاةُ الْجَمَاعَةِ تَفْضُلُ صَلَاةَ الْفَذِّ بِسَبْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ دَرَجَةً

Prayer in congregation is better than prayer alone by twenty-seven degrees.

Source: Sahih Bukhari 619, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

صَلَاةُ الرَّجُلِ فِي الْجَمَاعَةِ تُضَعَّفُ عَلَى صَلَاتِهِ فِي بَيْتِهِ وَفِي سُوقِهِ خَمْسًا وَعِشْرِينَ ضِعْفًا وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ إِذَا تَوَضَّأَ فَأَحْسَنَ الْوُضُوءَ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ لَا يُخْرِجُهُ إِلَّا الصَّلَاةُ لَمْ يَخْطُ خَطْوَةً إِلَّا رُفِعَتْ لَهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةٌ وَحُطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةٌ فَإِذَا صَلَّى لَمْ تَزَلْ الْمَلَائِكَةُ تُصَلِّي عَلَيْهِ مَا دَامَ فِي مُصَلَّاهُ اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَيْهِ اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْهُ وَلَا يَزَالُ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي صَلَاةٍ مَا انْتَظَرَ الصَّلَاةَ

The prayer of a man in congregation is twenty-five times greater than prayer in his home or shop, because when he performs ablution in a good manner and leaves to the mosque only to perform prayer, then his every step will raise him a degree and expiate a sin until he enters the mosque. When he is performing prayer, the angels send blessings upon him for as long as he remains in his place of prayer. They say: O Allah, bless him and have mercy upon him. One of you continues to be in prayer as long as he is waiting for prayer.

Source: Sahih Bukhari 620, Grade: Sahih

Abu Huraira reported: A blind man came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and he said, “O Messenger of Allah, I have no one to guide me to the mosque.” So he asked the Messenger of Allah for a concession to pray in his home and he was given a concession. When he turned away, the Prophet called him and said:

هَلْ تَسْمَعُ النِّدَاءَ بِالصَّلَاةِ

Can you hear the call to prayer?

He said yes. The Prophet said:

فَأَجِبْ

Then respond to it.

Source: Sahih Muslim 653, Grade: Sahih

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

إِنَّ أَثْقَلَ صَلَاةٍ عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ صَلَاةُ الْعِشَاءِ وَصَلَاةُ الْفَجْرِ وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِيهِمَا لَأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا وَلَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ آمُرَ بِالصَّلَاةِ فَتُقَامَ ثُمَّ آمُرَ رَجُلًا فَيُصَلِّيَ بِالنَّاسِ ثُمَّ أَنْطَلِقَ مَعِي بِرِجَالٍ مَعَهُمْ حُزَمٌ مِنْ حَطَبٍ إِلَى قَوْمٍ لَا يَشْهَدُونَ الصَّلَاةَ فَأُحَرِّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ بُيُوتَهُمْ بِالنَّارِ

Verily, the most burdensome of prayers upon the hypocrites are the night prayer and dawn prayer. If they knew the blessings that are in them, they would come to them even if they had to crawl. Certainly, I felt like ordering the prayer to be established and commanding a man to lead the people in prayer, then I would go with some men with firewood to the people who were absent from the prayer and I would burn their houses with fire.

Source: Sahih Muslim 651, Grade: Sahih

Abu Ad-Darda reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

مَا مِنْ ثَلَاثَةٍ فِي قَرْيَةٍ وَلَا بَدْوٍ لَا تُقَامُ فِيهِمْ الصَّلَاةُ إِلَّا قَدْ اسْتَحْوَذَ عَلَيْهِمْ الشَّيْطَانُ فَعَلَيْكَ بِالْجَمَاعَةِ فَإِنَّمَا يَأْكُلُ الذِّئْبُ الْقَاصِيَةَ

If three people in a town or in the desert do not establish the congregational prayer, then Satan has overcome them. You must establish the congregation, for verily, the wolf eats the solitary sheep.

Source: Sunan Abu Dawud 547, Grade: Sahih

Success comes from Allah, and Allah knows best.

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