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."

"O Allah, do not make my grave an idol that is worshiped. Allah cursed the people who took the graves of their prophets as places of worship."

"The places that are dearest to Allah are the mosques, and the places that are most hateful to Allah are the marketplaces."

A blind man came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I have no one to lead me to the mosque." He asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to allow him to pray at home, which the Messenger of Allah did. When the man was leaving, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) called him back and said: "Do you hear the Adhān?" He replied in the affirmative. Thereupon, he said: "Then respond to it."