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1,001 Sayings and Deeds of the Prophet

Prayers

Angels and a Point-Based Reward System

Sayings and Deeds of the ProphetThe more you pray, the more your name gets mentioned in high places.

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Apostle said, "Angels come to you in succession by night and day and all of them get together at the time of the Fajr and Asr prayers. Those who have passed the night with you (or stayed with you) ascend (to the Heaven) and Allah asks them, though He knows everything about you, well, "In what state did you leave my slaves?"

The angels reply: "When we left them they were praying and when we reached them, they were praying."

Bukhari 10.530

Again, the angel will not intercede on your behalf if they smell or hear anything untoward.

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, "As long as any-one of you is waiting for the prayer, he is considered to be praying actually, and the angels say, 'O Allah! Be merciful to him and forgive him', (and go on saying so) unless he leaves his place of praying or passes wind (i.e. breaks his ablution)."

Bukhari 54.452

It is a good idea to arrive early for Friday prayers, not only because of those taking attendance, but also if you want rewards equivalent to sacrificing a camel to Allah.

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, "On every Friday the angels take their stand at every gate of the mosques to write the names of the people chronologically (i.e. according to the time of their arrival for the Friday prayer and when the Imam sits (on the pulpit) they fold up their scrolls and get ready to listen to the sermon."

Bukhari 54.433

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) said, "Any person who takes a bath on Friday like the bath of Janaba (ritual bathing) and then goes for the prayer (in the first hour i.e. early), it is as if he had sacrificed a camel (in Allah's cause); and whoever goes in the second hour it is as if he had sacrificed a cow; and whoever goes in the third hour, then it is as if he had sacrificed a horned ram; and if one goes in the fourth hour, then it is as if he had sacrificed a hen; and whoever goes in the fifth hour then it is as if he had offered an egg. When the Imam comes out (i.e. starts delivering the Khutba i.e. sermon), the angels present themselves to listen to the Khutba."

Bukhari 13.6

It's all about the rewards! When you see people rushing into the street to perform the obligatory prayers, it's not only because of the consequences of not praying at the decreed times and in the manner prescribed, but also for the increased rewards that come with praying with a crowd of worshippers.

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Apostle said, "If the people knew the reward for pronouncing the Adhan and for standing in the first row (in congregational prayers) and found no other way to get that except by drawing lots they would draw lots, and if they knew the reward of the Zuhr prayer (in the early moments of its stated time) they would race for it (go early) and if they knew the reward of Isha and Fajr (morning) prayers in congregation, they would come to offer them even if they had to crawl."

Bukhari 11.589

How to get twenty-five times the reward for a prayer ... or is it twenty- seven? It may have to do with the distance from the mosque.

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, "The prayer offered in congregation is twenty five times more superior (in reward) to the prayer offered alone in one's house or in a business center, because if one performs ablution and does it perfectly, and then proceeds to the mosque with the sole intention of praying, then for each step which he takes towards the mosque, Allah upgrades him a degree in reward and (forgives) crosses out one sin till he enters the mosque. When he enters the mosque he is considered in prayer as long as he is waiting for the prayer and the angels keep on asking for Allah's forgiveness for him and they keep on saying: 'O Allah! Be Merciful to him, O Allah! Forgive him', as long as he keeps on sitting at his praying place and does not pass wind."

Bukhari 8.466

Narrated Abdullah bin Umar:

Allah's Apostle said, "The prayer in congregation is twenty seven times superior to the prayer offered by person alone."

Bukhari 11.618

Narrated Abu Musa:

The Prophet said, "The people who get tremendous reward for the prayer are those who are farthest away (from the mosque) and then those who are next farthest and so on. Similarly one who waits to pray with the Imam has greater reward than one who prays and goes to bed."

Bukhari 11.623

Why Medina and Mecca attract so many believers every year, and not only for the mandatory once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to Mecca, may have to do with the biggest reward of all: saying your prayer in a crowd of like-minded souls.

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Apostle said, "One prayer in my Mosque (Medina) is better than one thousand prayers in any other mosque excepting Al-Masjid-AI-Haram (the Grand Mosque of Mecca)."

Bukhari 21.282

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In 2012, the Saudis began work on the Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina, where the Prophet Muhammad is buried. When completed it will not only be the largest mosque in the world, but the largest building, capable of accommodating 1.6 million ultimate-reward seekers.

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It must be difficult to restrain oneself from shouting "Amin" nonstop and disrupting the prayers.

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Apostle said, "If any one of you says, "Amin" and the angels in the heavens say "Amin" and the former coincides with the latter, all his past sins will be forgiven."

Bukhari 12.748

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Apostle said, "Say Amen when the Imam says "Ghair-il-maghdubi 'alaihim wala-ddal-lin; not the path of those who earn Your Anger (such as Jews) nor of those who go astray (such as Christians); all the past sins of the person whose saying (of Amin) coincides with that of the angels, will be forgiven.

Bukhari 12.749

There is a very short hour during which you can still get lucky.

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) talked about Friday and said, "There is an hour (opportune time) on Friday and if a Muslim gets it while praying and asks something from Allah, then Allah will definitely meet his demand." And he (the Prophet) pointed out the shortness of that time with his hands.

Bukhari 13.57

They also pray those who sit waiting for the prayer to start and don't fart!

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Apostle said, "The congregational prayer of anyone amongst you is more than twenty (five or twenty seven) times in reward than his prayer in the market or in his house, for if he performs ablution completely and then goes to the mosque with the sole intention of performing the prayer, and nothing urges him to proceed to the mosque except the prayer, then, on every step which he takes towards the mosque, he will be raised one degree or one of his sins will be forgiven. The angels will keep on asking Allah's forgiveness and blessings for every one of you so long as he keeps sitting at his praying place. The angels will say, 'O Allah, bless him! O Allah, be merciful to him!' as long as he does not do Hadath (fart) or a thing which gives trouble to the other."

The Prophet further said, "One is regarded in prayer so long as one is waiting for the prayer."

Bukhari 34.330

Who gets the reward if the imam gets it wrong?

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Apostle said, "If the Imam leads the prayer correctly then he and you will receive the rewards but if he makes a mistake (in the prayer) then you will receive the reward for the prayer and the sin will be his."

Bukhari 11.663

Getting your sins forgiven from one week to the next.

Narrated Salman-Al-Farsi:

The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, "Whoever takes a bath on Friday, purifies himself as much as he can, then uses his (hair) oil or perfumes himself with the scent of his house, then proceeds (for the Jumua i.e.  Friday prayer) and does not separate two persons sitting together (in the mosque), then prays as much as (Allah has) written for him and then remains silent while the Imam is delivering the Khutba, his sins in-between the present and the last Friday would be forgiven."

Bukhari 13.8

Catching up with the rich through prayer.

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Some poor people came to the Prophet and said, "The wealthy people will get higher grades and will have permanent enjoyment and they pray like us and fast as we do. They have more money by which they perform the Hajj, and Umra; fight and struggle in Allah's Cause and give in charity."

The Prophet said, "Shall I not tell you a thing upon which if you acted you would catch up with those who have surpassed you? Nobody would overtake you and you would be better than the people amongst whom you live except those who would do the same. Say 'Sub-han-al-lah', 'Alhamdu-lillah' and 'Allahu Akbar' thirty three times each after every (compulsory) prayer..."

Bukhari 12.804

The value in Qirats of attending a funeral:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Apostle said, "(A believer) who accompanies the funeral procession of a Muslim out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's reward and remains with it till the funeral prayer is offered and the burial ceremonies are over, he will return with a reward of two Qirats. Each Qirat is like the size of the (Mount) Uhud. He who offers the funeral prayer only and returns before the burial, will return with the reward of one Qirat only."

Bukhari 2.45

Worried about debts?

Narrated Aisha (the wife of the Prophet):

Allah's Apostle used to invoke Allah in the prayer saying "Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min adhabil-qabri, wa a'udhu bika min fitnatil-masihid-dajjal, wa a'udhu bika min fitnatil-mahya wa fitnatil-mamati. Allahumma inni a'udhu bika minal-ma thami wal-maghrami. (O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the punishment of the grave and from the afflictions of Masi,h Ad-Dajjal (the false messiah)and from the afflictions of life and death. O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the sins and from being in debt)."

Somebody said to him, "Why do you so frequently seek refuge with Allah from being in debt?"

The Prophet replied, "A person in debt tells lies whenever he speaks, and breaks promises whenever he makes (them)."

Aisha also narrated: I heard Allah's Apostle in his prayer seeking refuge with Allah from the afflictions of Ad-dajjal (the false messiah).

Bukhari 12.795

The value of prayers spoken while sitting, differ from those said while standing.

Narrated Abdullah bin Buraida:

Imran bin Husain had piles. Once Abu Ma mar narrated from Imran bin Husain had said, "I asked the Prophet (p.b.u.h) about the prayer of a person while sitting.

He said, 'It is better for one to pray standing; and whoever prays sitting gets half the reward of that who prays while standing; and whoever prays while Lying gets half the reward of that who prays while sitting.' "

Bukhari 20.217

An evil deed, like kissing a woman, is erased by prayer.

Narrated Ibn Masud:

A man kissed a woman and then came to Allah's Apostle and told him of that, so this Divine Inspiration was revealed to the Prophet 'And offer Prayers perfectly at the two ends of the day, and in some hours of the night; (i.e. (five) compulsory prayers). Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds (small sins) That is a reminder for the mindful.' (11:114)

The man said, 'Is this instruction for me only?'

The Prophet said, "It is for all those of my followers who encounter a similar situation."

Bukhari 60.209