Encyclopedia of Prophetic Hadiths

"A man's prayer in congregation is twenty-something degrees higher than his prayer in his house and market. When one performs ablution and perfects it, then goes out to the mosque, nothing motivates him except prayer and seeking nothing but prayer. For every step he takes, he is raised one degree and one sin is erased for him until he enters the mosque. When he enters the mosque, he remains in prayer as long as prayer is what keeps him therein. The angels will keep invoking the blessings of Allah on you as long as you are in the place where you performed prayer, saying: 'O Allah, have mercy on him! O Allah, forgive him! O Allah, accept his repentance!' as long as you do not harm anyone therein and do not break your ablution."

When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made Takbīr in the prayer, he would remain silent a while before reciting. I said: O Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother ransom you! Have you seen your silence between Takbīr and the recitation? What is it that you say? He said: "I say: Allāhumma bā‘id bayni wa bayna khatāyāy kama bā‘dta bayna al-mashriqi wa al-maghrib. Allāhumma naqqini min khatāyāy kama yunaqqa ath-thawbu al-abyadu min ad-danas. Allāhumma ighsilni min khatāyāy bith-thalji wa al-mā’i wa al-barad (O Allah, distance me from my sins as You have distanced the east from the west. O Allah, purify me from my sins as a white garment is purified from dirt. O Allah, wash out my sins with water, snow, and hail)."

"O Bilāl, tell me of the most rewarding deed you have done in Islam, for verily I heard the scuffle of your sandals ahead of me in Paradise." He (Bilāl) said: I do not consider any deed I have done more rewarding except that I never made ablution at any time of night or day without praying with that ablution as much as was ordained for me to pray.

"Is he who raises his head before the Imam not afraid that Allah may transform his head into that of a donkey or his shape into that of a donkey?"

he used to say takbīr in every obligatory and supererogatory prayer during Ramadan and others. He would say takbīr when he rose and say takbīr when he bowed. Then, he would say: "Sami'a allāhu liman hamidah" (Allah hears he who praises Him). Then, he would say, "Rabbanā wa laka al-hamd" (Our Lord, praise be to You) before prostrating. Then, he would say: "Allāhu akbar" (Allah is the Greatest) as he went down to prostration. Then, he would say takbīr upon raising his head from prostration, then say takbīr upon prostrating, and then say takbīr upon raising his head from prostration. Then, he would say takbīr upon rising from the sitting position both times. He would do so in every Rak'ah until he finished the prayer. Then, he would say as he left: "By the One in Whose Hand my soul is, I am the closest among you to the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Such was his prayer until he departed this world."

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) entered the mosque, and then a man came in and prayed. He greeted the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), who responded and said: "Go back and pray, for you have not prayed." He went back and prayed as he had prayed, then, he came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and greeted him. He said: "Go back and pray, for you have not prayed," three times. So, he said: By the One Who sent you with the truth, I cannot do better than that. So teach me. He said: "When you stand to pray, say Takbīr (Allāhu Akbar), then recite whatever you can of the Qur’an; then bow until you are at ease in bowing; then rise until you are standing up straight; then prostrate until you are at ease in prostration; and then sit up until you are at ease in sitting. Do that throughout your prayer."

"Whoever takes a bath on Friday, like the bath taken from sexual impurity, and then goes (to the mosque) is like the one who offers a camel as a sacrifice; whoever goes at the second hour is like the one who offers a cow as a sacrifice; whoever goes at the third hour is like the one who offers a horned ram as a sacrifice; whoever goes at the fourth hour is like the one who offers a chicken as a sacrifice; and whoever goes at the fifth hour is like one who offers an egg as a sacrifice. When the Imām comes out, the angels come to listen to the Dhikr."

"Were people to know what is in the call and the first row and then they could do nothing but to draw lots for it, they would draw lots. Were they to know what is in performing the prayer early, they would race to it. Were they to know what is in the darkness and the morning, they would come to them even if they had to crawl."