Riyad as-Salihin

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "The supplication made between the Adhan and the Iqamah is never rejected.".

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "Say, if there were a river at the door of one of you in which he takes a bath five times a day, would any soiling remain on him?" They replied, "No soiling would left on him." He (ﷺ) said, " That is the five (obligatory) Salat (prayers). Allah obliterates all sins as a result of performing them.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The similitude of the five (obligatory) Salat is like a river running at the door of one of you in which he takes a bath five times a day.".

A man kissed a woman. So he came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and informed him about it. Then Allah revealed this Ayah: "And perform the Salat, between the two ends of the day and in some hours of the night. Verily, the good deeds efface the evil deeds (i.e., minor sins)." (11:114) The man asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) whether this applies to him only. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "It applies to all of my Ummah.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The five (daily) Salat (prayers) and the Friday (prayer) to the Friday (prayer) expiate whatever (minor sins) may be committed in between, so long as major sins are avoided.".

I heard Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "When the time for a prescribed Salat is due and a Muslim performs its Wudu' and its acts of bowing and prostration properly, this Salat will be an expiation for his past sins, so long as he does not commit major sins, and this applies for ever.".

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who The observes Al-Bardan (i.e., Fajr and 'Asr prayers) will enter Jannah.".

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: "He who performs Salat (prayers) before the rising of the sun and before its setting, will not enter the Hell.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who offers the dawn (Fajr) prayers will come under the Protection of Allah. O son of Adam! Beware, lest Allah should call you to account in any respect from (for withdrawing) His Protection.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "There are angels who take turns in visiting you by night and by day, and they all assemble at the dawn (Fajr) and the afternoon ('Asr) prayers. Those who have spent the night with you, ascend to the heaven and their Rubb, Who knows better about them, asks: 'In what condition did you leave My slaves?' They reply: 'We left them while they were performing Salat and we went to them while they were performing Salat."'.

We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when he looked at the full moon and observed, "You will see your Rubb in the Hereafter as you see this moon having no difficulty in seeing it. So try your best to perform the prayers before the rising of the sun and that before its setting.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who misses the 'Asr Salat (deliberately), his deeds will be rendered nul and void.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who goes to the mosque in the morning or in the evening, Allah prepares for him a place in Jannah whenever he goes to the mosque in the morning and returns from it in the evening.".

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who purifies (performs Wudu') himself in his house and then walks to one of the houses of Allah (mosque) for performing an obligatory Salat, one step of his will wipe out his sins and another step will elevate his rank (in Jannah).".

There was a man of the Ansar whose house was the farthest from the mosque. As far as I know, he never missed Salat (in congregation). It was said to him: "If you buy a donkey, you may ride upon it in the dark nights and in the hot days." He said: "I do not like that my house should be situated close to the mosque. I desire that my walking towards the mosque and returning home be recorded to my credit." Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah has gathered all (rewards) for you.".

There were some plots of land lying vacant around the mosque. The people of Banu Salamah decided to move to this land and come nearer to the mosque. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) heard about it and said to them, "I have heard that you intend to move near the mosque." They said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah! We have decided to do that." Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "O Banu Salamah! Stay in your houses, because your footprints (when you come to the mosque) will be recorded." He said this twice. They said: "We would not have liked it, had we moved near the mosque.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The person who will receive the highest reward for Salat (prayer) is the one who comes to perform it in the mosque from the farthest distance. And he who waits for Salat to perform it with the Imam (in congregation) will have a greater reward than the one who observes it alone and then goes to sleep.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Convey glad tidings to those who walk to the mosque in the darkness. For they will be given full light on the Day of Resurrection.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Shall I not tell you something by which Allah effaces the sins and elevates the ranks (in Jannah)." The Companions said: "Yes (please tell us), O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Performing the Wudu' properly in spite of difficult circumstances, walking with more paces to the mosque, and waiting for the next Salat (prayer) after a observing Salat; and that is Ar-Ribat, and that is Ar-Ribat.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When you see a man frequenting the mosque, testify that he is a believer because Allah says: 'Allah's mosques are visited only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day."'.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Everyone among you will be deemed to be occupied in Salat (prayer) constantly so long as Salat (the prayer) detains him (from worldly concerns), and nothing prevents him from returning to his family but Salat.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The angels supplicate in favour of one of you so long as he remains in the place where he has performed Salat (prayer) in a state of Wudu'. They (the angels) say: 'O Allah! Forgive him, O Allah! Have mercy on him."'.

Once the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) delayed the night prayer ('Isha') till midnight. He (ﷺ) turned to us after Salat (prayer) and said, "The people slept after performing their Salat, but you who waited, will be accounted as engaged in Salat throughout the period of your waiting.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Salat in congregation is twenty-seven times more meritorious than a Salat performed individually.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "A man's Salat in congregation is twenty-five times more rewarding than his Salat at home or in his shop, and that is because when he performs his Wudu' properly and proceeds towards the mosque with the purpose of performing Salat in congregation, he does not take a step without being raised a degree (in rank) for it and having a sin remitted for it, till he enters the mosque. When he is performing Salat, the angels continue to invoke Blessings of Allah on him as long as he is in his place of worship in a state of Wudu'. They say: 'O Allah! Have mercy on him! O Allah! Forgive him.' He is deemed to be engaged in Salat as long as he waits for it.".

A blind man came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! I have no one to guide me to the mosque." He, therefore, sought his permission to perform Salat (prayer) in his house. He (ﷺ) granted him permission. When the man turned away, he called him back, and said, "Do you hear the Adhan (call to prayer)?" He replied in the affirmative. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then directed him to respond to it..

I said to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "There are many poisonous insects and wild beasts in Al-Madinah, and I am blind. Please grant me permission to perform Salat at home." He (ﷺ) enquired whether he could hear the call: Hayya 'alas-Salah; Hayya 'alal-Falah (Come to the prayer, come to the salvation). When he replied in affirmative, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) directed him to come (to mosque) for prayer.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "By Him in Whose Hand my life is, I sometimes thought of giving orders for firewood to be collected, then for proclaiming the Adhan for Salat. Then I would appoint an Imam to lead Salat, and then go to the houses of those who do not come to perform Salat in congregation, and set fire to their houses on them.".

He who likes to meet Allah tomorrow (i.e., on the Day of Requital) as a Muslim, should take care and observe the Salat when the Adhan is announced for them. Allah has expounded to your Prophet (ﷺ) the ways of right guidance, and these (the prayers) are part of the right guidance. If you have to perform Salat in your houses, as this man who stays away (from the mosque) and performs Salat in his house, you will abandon the Sunnah (practice) of your Prophet (ﷺ), and the departure from the Sunnah of your Prophet (ﷺ) will lead you astray. I have seen the time when no one stayed behind except a well-known hypocrite. I also saw that a man was brought swaying (on account of weakness) between two men till he was set up in a row (in the mosque)..

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "If three men in a village or in the desert, make no arrangement for Salat in congregation, Satan must have certainly overcome them. So observe Salat in congregation, for the wolf eats up a solitary sheep that stays far from the flock.".

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: "One who performs 'Isha' prayer in congregation, is as if he has performed Salat for half of the night. And one who performs the Fajr prayer in congregation, is as if he has performed Salat the whole night."The narration of At-Tirmidhi says: 'Uthman bin Affan (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that he had heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: "He who attends 'Isha' in congregation, is as if he has performed Salat for half of the night; and he who attends 'Isha' and Fajr prayers in congregation, is as if he has performed Salat for the whole night."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "If they knew the merits of Salat after nightfall ('Isha') and the morning (Fajr) Salat, they would come to them even if they had to crawl to do so."This is part of a long Hadith which has already been mentioned. See Hadith No. 1033.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "No Salat is more burdensome to the hypocrites than the Fajr (dawn) prayer and the 'Isha' (night) prayer; and if they knew their merits, they would come to them even if they had to crawl to do so.".

I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "Which act is the best?" He (ﷺ) said, "As-Salat at their fixed times." I asked, "What next?" He (ﷺ) said, "Being dutiful to parents." I asked, "What next?" He (ﷺ) said, "Striving (Jihad) in the way of Allah.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Islam is based on five (pillars): testifying that there is no true god except Allah and that Muhammad (ﷺ) is His slave and Messenger; performing of Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat); the payment of Zakat; performing Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House .

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "I have been commanded to fight against the people till they testify La ilaha illAllah (There is no true god except Allah) and that Muhammad (ﷺ) is His slave and Messenger, and to establish As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), and to pay Zakat; and if they do this, then their blood and property are secured except by the rights of Islam, and their accountability is left to Allah.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent me as a governor to Yemen and (at the time of departure) he instructed me thus: "You will go to people of the Scripture (i.e., the Jews and the Christians). First of all invite them to testify that La ilaha ill Allah (There is no true god except Allah) and that Muhammad (ﷺ) is His slave and Messenger; and if they accept this, then tell them that Allah has enjoined upon them five Salat (prayers) during the day and night; and if they accept it, then tell them that Allah has made the payment of Zakat obligatory upon them. It should be collected from their rich and distributed among their poor; and if they agree to it, don't take (as a share of Zakat) the best of their properties. Beware of the supplications of the oppressed, for there is no barrier between it and Allah.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Between a man and disbelief and paganism is the abandonment of Salat (prayer).".

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "That which differentiates us from the disbelievers and hypocrites is our performance of Salat. He who abandons it, becomes a disbeliever.".

The Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not consider the abandonment of any action as disbelief except neglecting Salat..

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The first of man's deeds for which he will be called to account on the Day of Resurrection will be Salat. If it is found to be perfect, he will be safe and successful; but if it is incomplete, he will be unfortunate and a loser. If any shortcoming is found in the obligatory Salat, the Glorious and Exalted Rubb will command to see whether His slave has offered any voluntary Salat so that the obligatory Salat may be made up by it. Then the rest of his actions will be treated in the same manner.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out to us (once) and said, "Why do you not stand in rows as the angels do before their Rubb?" We asked: "O Messenger of Allah! how do the angels stand in rows before their Rubb?" He (ﷺ) replied, "They complete each row beginning with the first and filling all the gaps.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "If people came to know the blessing of calling Adhan and the standing in the first row, they could do nothing but would draw lots to secure these privileges.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The best of the men's rows (in Salat) is the first row and the worst is the last; but the best of the woman's row is the last and the worst of their rows is the first.".

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) perceived a tendency among his Companions to stand in the back rows, he said to them, "Come forward and be close to me and let those who come after you, follow your lead. If people continue to fall behind (i.e., in acquiring virtues), Allah puts them behind.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to gently pat our shoulders when we were standing in rows at the time of Salat and say, "Keep (the rows) straight; do not differ from each other lest your hearts should suffer from discord. Let those of you who are mature and prudent be nearer to me, and then those who are next to them.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Keep your rows straight (during Salat in congregation), for keeping the rows straight is part of the perfection of Salat.".

When the Iqamah had been announced, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) turned his face towards us and said: "Make your rows straight and stand close together, for I can see you from behind my back.".

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "Straighten your rows; otherwise, Allah will create dissension among you.".The narration in Muslim is: An-Nu'man bin Bashir (May Allah be pleased with them) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) directed us to keep our rows as straight as arrows. He continued stressing this until he realized that we had learnt it from him (recognized its significance). One day he came into the mosque and stood up. He was just about to say Takbir (Allah is Greater) when he noticed a man whose chest was projected from the row, so he said, "O slaves of Allah, you must straighten your rows or Allah will certainly put your faces in opposite directions."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pass between the rows from one end to the other, touching our chest and shoulders (i.e., arranging the rows) in line and saying, "Do not be out of line; otherwise your hearts will be in disagreement". He would add, "Allah and His angels invoke blessings upon the first rows.".