The congregational prayer surpasses the prayer of any one of you alone by twenty-five time…

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Hadith narrated by Agreed upon

Authenticity grade : Authentic

Hadith text: The congregational prayer surpasses the prayer of any o…

عَن أَبي هُرَيْرَةَ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «تَفْضُلُ صَلاَةُ الجَمِيعِ صَلاَةَ أَحَدِكُمْ وَحْدَهُ، بِخَمْسٍ وَعِشْرِينَ جُزْءًا، وَتَجْتَمِعُ مَلاَئِكَةُ اللَّيْلِ وَمَلاَئِكَةُ النَّهَارِ فِي صَلاَةِ الفَجْرِ» ثُمَّ يَقُولُ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ: فَاقْرَءُوا إِنْ شِئْتُمْ: {إِنَّ قُرْآنَ الفَجْرِ كَانَ مَشْهُودًا} [الإسراء: 78].

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "The congregational prayer surpasses the prayer of any one of you alone by twenty-five times. And the angels of the night and the angels of the day gather at the Fajr prayer." Then Abu Hurayrah said: Recite, if you wish: {The recitation of dawn is ever witnessed [by the angels].} [Al-Isra: 78]

Explanation of the hadith: The congregational prayer surpasses the prayer of any o…

Lessons: The congregational prayer surpasses the prayer of any o…

• Ibn Hajar said: The prayer in the mosque in congregation is superior to the prayer in the house and the marketplace, whether in congregation or individually. Ibn Daqīq al-'Īd stated this.
• The Hadīth highlights the excellence of the Fajr prayer because the angels assemble exclusively in it.
• Ibn Bāz said: A believer should be keen to maintain prayer in congregation, even if his house is far, in order to attain this great goodness.
• An-Nawawi, in reconciling between the narrations, said that the congregational prayer is better than the individual prayer by twenty-five degrees in one narration and by twenty-seven in another. The reconciliation between them can be understood in three ways: 1. There is no contradiction, as mentioning the lesser number does not negate the greater. The concept of a specific number is invalid according to the Scholars of Usūl (Islamic jurisprudence). 2. It may be that he first mentioned the lesser number, and later Allah Almighty informed him of the greater reward, which he then conveyed. 3. The reward can vary depending on the conditions of the worshipers and the prayer itself. For some, the reward may be twenty-five, and for others, twenty-seven, depending on the perfection of their prayer, their adherence to its proper postures, humility and focus, the number of worshipers and their merit, the virtue of the place of prayer, and other factors. And Allah knows best.

Categories : Virtue and Rulings of Congregational Prayer