The Excellence of Performing Solāh at the Masjid

The Excellence of Performing Solāh at the Masjid

In the Name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;

All the praise and thanks is due to Allāh, the Lord of al-`ālamīn. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allāh, and that Muhammad, Sallallāhu alayhi wasallam, is His Messenger.

Muslims should not fail to go to the mosque every day and night and should love being there unless it is not permissible for some obvious reasons. `Abdullah Ibn Mas`ud (radiyallahu`nhu) said: “No one should miss the Solāh at the mosque except the ill and the hypocrites.” He also added that the Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) taught us the means to guidance and one of these means is praying at the mosque.

With regard to your question, we cite what Sheikh Sayyed Sabiq states in his well-known book Fiqh Us-Sunnah:

1 - Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu`anhu) reported that the Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) said, “If anyone goes back and forth to the mosque [to attend the Solāh], Allah will prepare for him a feast in Paradise as often as he goes back and forth” (Ahmad, Al-Bukhari, and Muslim).

2 - Abdullah Ibn `Umar (radiyallāhu`anhu) reports that the Allah’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) said: “Solāh in congregation is superior to a solāh performed individually by twenty-seven degrees.” This is related by al-Bukhari and Muslim. 

3 - Abu Hurairah (radiyallāhu`anhu) reports that the Allah’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) said: “The solāh of a man in congregation is twenty-five times more superior (in reward) to his solāh  in his house or market - and this is because he makes the wudhu’ and perfects it and goes to the masjid with the sole purpose of performing the solāh . He does not take a step without being raised a degree and having one of his sins erased. When he prays, as long as he does not lose his wudu, the angels keep on praying [for him] ‘O Allah, bless him. O Allah, have mercy on him.’ And he is considered in solāh as long as he is waiting for the solāh.” This is related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

4- Abu Hurairah (radiyallāhu`anhu) also reports that a blind man said to the Allah’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam): “O Messenger of Allah, I have no guide to guide me to the masjid.” He asked the Allah’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) for permission to perform Solāh in his house and the Allah’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) gave it to him. Then, when he turned to go, the Allah’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) called him and said: “Do you hear the call to solāh?” The blind man said “yes.” The Allah’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) then said: “Then respond to it!” [By coming to the masjid] This is related by Muslim. 

5  - Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (radiyallahu`anhu) reported that the Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) said, “If you see a man frequenting the mosque, then testify that he has faith. As Allah says, ‘The attendants of Allah’s mosque are those who believe in Allah and the last day (At-Tawbah: 18)’” [Ahmad, Ibn Mājah, Ibn Khuzaimah, Ibn Hibban, and At-Tirmidzi].

6 - Muslim records, on the authority of Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu`anhu) that the Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) said, “If anyone purifies himself in his house, and then walks to one of the houses of Allah to fulfill one of the obligations laid down by Allah, then [each one] of his steps will erase one of his sins and the next will raise his degrees.”

7 - Abu Ad-Darda’ (radiyallahu`anhu) reported that the Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) said, “The mosque is a house for every pious person, and Allah provides everyone whose house is the mosque with comfort, leisure, and a path to Allah’s pleasure, to Paradise” [This is also recorded by At-Tabarāni and Al-Bazzār].

8 - Abu Hurairah (radiyallāhu`anhu) reported that the Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) said: "If the people knew what was in the Adzān and the first row (of the Solāh in virtue), and that they could not get it save by drawing lots, they would draw lots. If they knew the reward for praying the noon Solāh early in its time, they would race to it. And if they knew the reward for the night and the morning Solāh s in congregation, they would come to them even if they had to crawl.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari and others) 

9 - Mu’awiyyah reported that the Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The callers to Solāh will have the longest necks of all people on the Day of Resurrection.” (Related by Ahmad, Muslim, and Ibn Majah) 

10 - Al-Barra’ Ibn `Aazib (radiyallāhu`anhu) reported that the Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) said: “Allah and His angel’s solah upon those in the first rows. And the caller to Solāh is forgiven, for as far as his voice reaches and whoever hears him will confirm what he says. He will get a reward similar to those who pray with him.” This hadith is related by Ahmad and An-Nasā`ie. Al-Munzhiri says its chain is good.

Allah Almighty knows best.

[Via Islam Online]