Chapter: The virtue of prayer in congregation, and clarifying the stern warning against staying away from it, and that it is fard kifayah

Prayer said in a congregation is twenty-five degrees more excellent than prayer said by a single person.

Prayer said in a congregation is twenty-five degrees more excellent than prayer said by a single person. He (Abu Huraira further) said: The angels of the night and the angels of the day meet together. Abu Huraira said: Recite it you like:" Surely the recital of the Qur'an at dawn is witnessed" (al-Qur'an, xvii. 78).

A hadith like this has been narrated by Abu Huraira with another chain of transmitters with a very slight change of words.

Prayer said in a congregation is equivalent to twenty-five (prayers) as compared with the prayer said by a single person.

The Messenger of Allah (way peace be upon him) said: Prayer along with the Imam is twenty-five times more excellent than prayer said by a single person.

Prayer said in a congregation is twenty-seven degrees more excellent than prayer said by a single person.

The prayer of a person in congregation is twenty-seven times in excess to the prayer said alone.

Ibn Numair reported it on the authority of his father (a preference of) more than twenty (degrees) and Abu Bakr in his narration (has narrated it) twenty- seven degrees.

Ibn 'Umar reported from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as some and twenty (degrees).

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) found some people absenting from certain prayers and he said: I intend that I order (a) person to lead people in prayer, and then go to the persons who do not join the (congregational prayer) and then order their houses to be burnt by the bundles of fuel. If one amongst them were to know that he would find a fat fleshy bone he would attend the night prayer.

The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are the night prayer and the morning prayer. If they were to know the blessings they have in store, they would have come to them, even though crawling, and I thought that I should order the prayer to be commenced and command a person to lead people in prayer, and I should then go along with some persons having a fagot of fuel with them to the people who have not attended the prayer (in congregation) and would burn their houses with fire.

This is what Abu Huraira reported to us from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and (in this connection) he narrated some ahadith, one of them is: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: I intend that I should command my young men to gather bundles fuel for me, and then order a person to lead people in prayer, and then burn the houses with their inmates (who have not joined the congregation).

A hadith like this has been narrated by Abu Huraira.

I intend that I should command a person to lead people in prayer, and then burn those persons who absent themselves from Jumu'a prayer in their houses.