The Excellence of Performing Salat (Prayers) in Congregation

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
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."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله ﷺ : "صلاة الرجل في جماعة تُضعَّف على صلاته في بيته وفي سوقه خمسًا وعشرين ضعفًا، وذلك أنه إذا توضأ فأحسن الوضوء، ثم خرج إلى المسجد، لا يخرجه إلا الصلاة، لم يخطُ خطوة إلا رفعت له بها درجة، وحطت عنه بها خطيئة، فإذا صلى لم تزل الملائكة تصلي عليه ما دام في مصلاه، ما لم يحدث، تقول اللهم صلِّ عليه، اللهم ارحمه. ولا يزال في صلاة ما انتظر الصلاة" ((متفق عليه. وهذا لفظ البخاري))

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
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.

[Muslim].

وعنه قال: أتى النبي ﷺ رجل أعمي، فقال: يا رسول الله، ليس لي قائد يقودني إلى المسجد، فسأل رسول الله ﷺ أن يرخص له فيصلي في بيته، فرخص له، فلما ولى دعاه فقال له: "هل تسمع النداء بالصلاة؟ " قال نعم، قال: "فأجب" ((رواه مسلم)).

'Abdullah bin Umm Maktum, the Mu'adhdhin (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
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."

[Abu Dawud].

وعن عبد الله- وقيل: عمرو بن قيس المعروف بابن أم مكتوم المؤذن رضي الله عنه أنه قال: يا رسول الله إن المدينة كثيرة الهوام والسباع. فقال رسول الله ﷺ : "تسمع حي على الصلاة، حي على الفلاح، فحيهلا" ((رواه أبو داود بإسناد حسن. (12)

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
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."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله ﷺ قال: "والذي نفسي بيده، لقد هممت أن آمر بحطب فيحتطب، ثم آمر بالصلاة فيؤذن لها، ثم آمر رجلا فيؤم الناس، ثم أخالف إلى رجال فأحرق عليهم بيوتهم" ((متفق عليه))

Ibn Mas'ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
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).

[Muslim].

وعن ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه قال: من سره أن يلقى الله تعالى غدًا مسلمًا، فليحافظ على هؤلاء الصلوات، حيث ينادى بهن، فإن الله شرع لنبيكم ﷺ سنن الهدى، وإنهن من سنن الهدى، ولو أنكم صليتم في بيوتكم كما يصلي هذا المتخلف في بيته لتركتم سنة نبيكم، ولو تركتم سنة نبيكم لضللتم، ولقد رأيتنا وما يتخلف عنها إلا منافق معلوم النفاق، ولقد كان الرجل يؤتى به، يهادى بين الرجلين حتى يقام في الصف. ((رواه مسلم وفي رواية له قال: إن رسول الله ﷺ علمنا سنن الهدى، وإن من الهدى الصلاة في المسجد الذي يؤذن فيه)).

Abud-Darda' (May Allah be pleased with him)reported:
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."

[Abu Dawud].

وعن أبي الدرداء رضي الله عنه قال: سمعت رسول الله ﷺ يقول: "ما من ثلاثة في قرية ولا بدو لا تقام فيهم الصلاة إلا قد استحوذ عليهم الشيطان. فعليكم بالجماعة، فإنما يأكل الذئب من الغنم القاصية" ((رواه أبو داود بإسناد حسن)).