Better to pray in the mosque

Khutbah on the Importance of Praying Salaatul Jamaa’ah (in Congregation)

by Khalil Moya

Alhumdulillah, Alhumdulillahi Rabbil A’lamin.  All praise is due to Allah who has blessed us to come here today for the Dhikr of Allah, the remembrance of Allah.  And we should thank Allah and ask Allah to bless us to benefit from the Khutbah today.  Brothers and sisters in Islam, the topic for today’s Khutbah will Inshallah be about the importance of coming to the masjid for Salaatul Jamaa’ah (the salaat in congregation).

** Qaalallahu Ta A’la, fi Suratul Baqarah, 2:43;

وَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلوةَ وَآتُواْ الزَّكَوةَ وَارْكَعُواْ مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ

And perform As-Salat, and give Zakah, and bow down along with Ar-Raaki`in (those who bow down)

So Allah, Who blessed us to be Muslim, has ordered us to perform the salaat, and to bow down with those who bow down.  Allah didn’t just say for us to perform the salaat, He ordered us to bow down with those, who also bow down.  And many of the Ulema have used this ayat as a proof for the obligation of performing the salaat in congregation.

**  Imam Muslim has related in his sahih;

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏

أَحَبُّ الْبِلاَدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَسَاجِدُهَا وَأَبْغَضُ الْبِلاَدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ أَسْوَاقُهَا

Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah () said:  “The parts of land dearest to Allah are its mosques, and the parts most hateful to Allah are markets.”

Reference	: Sahih Muslim 671
In-book reference	: Book 5, Hadith 364

And most of us know that Rasulullah (pbuh) and his sahaba (rau) made their five fard (mandatory) salaat in the masjid, so why is it that for many muslims, the only time they go to the masjid is on Fridays?

Brothers and sisters, we need to realize that coming to worship Allah in the masjid, is for our benefit, we are the ones that gain, profit, by coming to the masjid, and yet because Allah is Ar-Rahman (the Most Generous, the Most Bountiful), He gives us great rewards for coming to the masjid to worship Him.

** Imams Bukhari and Muslim have both related, An Ibn Umar (raa), An-na Rasuulallah (pbuh) Qaala:

صَلاَةُ الْجَمَاعَةِ تَفْضُلُ صَلاَةَ الْفَذِّ بِسَبْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ دَرَجَةً

Ibn Umar (raa) reported:  The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, “Salaat in congregation is twenty-seven times more meritorious, (better, greater in reward) than a Salaat performed individually.”

That means that we get 27x the reward, the hasanat, for coming to pray the fard salaat in the masjid.  And who from amongst us doesn’t need more hasanat, more good deeds, to his credit?  Who from amongst us, who commit sins day and night, feel like we already earn enough good deeds, that we don’t need these extra hasanat that Allah is offering to us?  Who feels like the salaat that we make at home, by ourselves, is good enough, and that we don’t need the extra reward to overcome the bad things that we do day in, and day out?

And if we’re not coming to the masjid to worship Allah, to get the 27x more reward, is it because we doing something better instead?  Is what we’re trading our 27x more reward for, going to give us more reward from Allah? Or less?  We should ask ourselves, if I’m not coming to the masjid to get the 27x reward from Allah, then what am I trading this reward for?  Is it for a couple of dollars? Is it for some extra sleep?  Is it for the game on t.v., or my favorite show?  What kind of bargain are we selling our reward for?  And it’s a huge reward that Allah offers us.

** Jami` at-Tirmidhi » The Book on Salat  “ Buraidah Al-Aslami narrated that :  the Prophet said: “Give glad tiding to those who walk to the Masajid in the dark; of a complete light on the Day of Resurrection.” (Sahih)

عَنْ بُرَيْدَةَ الأَسْلَمِيِّ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏

“‏ بَشِّرِ الْمَشَّائِينَ فِي الظُّلَمِ إِلَى الْمَسَاجِدِ بِالنُّورِ التَّامِّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ‏”‏ ‏.

 

Brothers and sisters, Allah has promised to give light to the believers who go the masjid to worship Him in the darkness.  And we’re all going to need this light on Yawmul Qiyaama, so why not work for it now, while we can?  This is from the reward that Allah reserves for those to leave the comfort of their homes to come to worship Him in the Masjid.  And in another Hadith;

 

** Imams Bukhari and Muslim have both recorded, An Abi Hurairata (ra) An-nan-Nabiyya (pbuh) Qaala:

مَنْ غَدَا إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ وَرَاحَ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُ نُزُلَهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ كُلَّمَا غَدَا أَوْ رَاحَ

Abu Hurairah (ra) reported: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, “He who goes to the masjid in the morning or in the evening, Allah prepares for him a place in Jannah whenever he goes to the masjid in the morning and returns from it in the evening.”

Allah is promising to prepare a place for us in Jannah, every time we come to the masjid in the morning or in the evening.  Is there anyone else who is offering to prepare a place for us in Jannah?  Is there anyone else offering us something better?  Is someone offering us something better if we don’t come to the masjid, if we stay away from the masjid?  Then why don’t we come?  Why do we stay away from the masjid?

Brothers, who from amongst us doesn’t want a place in Jannah, in Paradise?  And all we have to do is come to the masjid to worship Allah.  By coming to the masjid to worship Allah, Allah is helping us to help ourselves!

We talk about making hajj one day, but we can make a minor hajj 5 times a day, everyday of the year!

Brothers and sisters, we need to realize that by making the decision to come to the masjid to worship Allah, we are opening up the doors to all kinds of blessings.

** Imam Muslim has recorded an Abi Hurairata (ra) Qaal; An-nan Nabii (pbuh) Qaal;

مَنْ تَطَهَّرَ فِي بَيْتِهِ ثُمَّ مَشَى إِلَى بَيْتٍ مِنْ بُيُوتِ اللَّهِ لِيَقْضِيَ فَرِيضَةً مِنْ فَرَائِضِ اللَّهِ كَانَتْ خَطْوَتَاهُ إِحْدَاهُمَا تَحُطُّ خَطِيئَةً وَالأُخْرَى تَرْفَعُ دَرَجَةً

Abu Hurairah (ra) reported; The Prophet (pbuh) 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 Salaat, one step of his will wipe out his sins, and another step will elevate his rank (in Jannah).

So with every step, we get sins removed and we get elevated.  When we come to the masjid, we make dua at the door, we give salaams, we pray Sunnah, we may see brothers offering Sunnah before and after salaat, so we may follow them.  While we’re waiting for the salaat, we’re getting reward, after the salaat, we getting reward.  We may stay for a halaqah, we get reward.

Compare this to making our salaat at home!  Where’s the comparable reward?

Brothers, many of us may not come to the masjid, to pray the fard salaat, because we live far from the masjid.  For many of us, with this masjid being here, it’s even easier for us to come to the salaat, than it was before.  But Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has told us about the special reward for those who come from a far distance, to worship Allah in the masjid.

**  Abu Dawuud has recorded in his sunun;

“‏ الأَبْعَدُ فَالأَبْعَدُ مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ أَعْظَمُ أَجْرًا ‏”‏ ‏.‏

Narrated Abu Hurayrah (ra):

“The Prophet () said: The further one is from the mosque , the greater will be one’s reward.”

Subhanallah, this is from the generosity of Allah, that He gives us great rewards when we struggle for His sake, when we respond to His call.  And is there a better reason to leave our homes than to respond to the call of Allah; Hayyah alas Salaah, Hayyah alal Falaah.

And then the Prophet (pbuh) continued and said:

فَأَبْعَدُهُمْ وَالَّذِي يَنْتَظِرُ الصَّلاَةَ حَتَّى يُصَلِّيَهَا مَعَ الإِمَامِ أَعْظَمُ أَجْرًا مِنَ الَّذِي يُصَلِّيهَا ثُمَّ يَنَامُ

“And he who waits for Salaat, 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.”

Brothers, many of us may decide that we’re going to pray our Fard salaat at home, because they pray it too late, or they pray it too early, at the masjid, but look at what we’re giving up!  We’re giving up the ajr, the reward of Allah, and for what?  What are we talking about, a little extra sleep, a little extra time in front of the t.v., a little more time at the dinner table.  We should ask ourselves, is this a good bargain that we’re settling for?

And if we don’t sacrifice now, when will we sacrifice?  If we come to the masjid for Fajr and Ishaa, we have the opportunity to begin and end our day with sacrifice for the worship of Allah!  Does anyone of us doubt that Allah will reward us for this?

Allah rotates the seasons and the times so that we can benefit from that.  If we can’t make it to the masjid when salaat is at a certain time, what about when the time changes?  How many of us can make dhur at the masjid right now?  How about Maghrib?

Brothers and sisters, we all say we want Jannah, but where’s the sacrifice?  Where is the effort on our part?  Coming to the masjid for the salaat is one way that we can show Allah that we’re serious about wanting to earn His Mercy and Forgiveness.

And the rewards from Allah, for those who come to the masjid to pray the fard Salaat, don’t end there.

** Imam Muslim recorded, An Uthman bin Affan (ra) Qaala: Sami’tu rasuulallah (pbuh) yaquulu:

مَنْ صَلَّى الْعِشَاءَ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ كَانَ كَقِيَامِ نِصْفِ لَيْلَةٍ وَمَنْ صَلَّى الْعِشَاءَ وَالْفَجْرَ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ كَانَ كَقِيَامِ لَيْلَةٍ

Uthman bin Affan (ra) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) saying: “One who performs Ishaa prayer in congregation, is as if he has performed Salaat for half of the night.  And one who performs the Fajr prayer in congregation, is as if he has performed Salaat the whole night.”

‘This hadith tells us that the reward of performing Isha  and Fajr prayers in congregation is so great that it equals the worship of the whole night.’ Imam Nawawi.

When was the last time that any of us stayed up the whole night, in the worship of Allah Subhana wa Ta A’la?  When was the last time we prayed salaatul tahajjud, or salaatul witr?

And by comparison, how many of us stay up late into the night watching t.v, or on the internet, or playing video games?  Or something else?  And will we get any kind of reward for this?  And we don’t get a reward for this, will we get a punishment?  Allah is offering us this great ajr, and all we have to do is come to the masjid for His Remembrance, for His sake.

Aqullukawlihatha, wa astaghfirullaha li wa lakum

Alhumdulillahi Rabbil Alamin, was salaatu wa salaamu ala Muhammad, wa ali alihi, wa ashabihi, ajamiin, amabaad.

**  Qaalallahu Ta A’la, fi Suratul Baqarah, ayat 238:

حَـفِظُواْ عَلَى الصَّلَوَتِ والصَّلَوةِ الْوُسْطَى وَقُومُواْ لِلَّهِ قَـنِتِينَ

238. Guard strictly (five obligatory) As-Salawat (the prayers) especially the Middle Salah. And stand before Allah with obedience.)

Brothers and sisters in Islam, Allah has ordered us in the Qur’an to guard strictly the 5 salawat.  And the way that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his Sahaba (raum) used to do this was by praying in the Masjid as much as possible.

Brothers and sisters, Yawmul Qiyaama is not that far away from us.  Every day that we wake up  brings us one day closer to our Akhirah, our hereafter.  So, we should ask ourselves, what are we preparing for ourselves, what kinds of deeds are we sending forward, for the day when we will stand in front of Allah Subhana wa Ta A’la.

** Imams Bukhari and Muslim have both related, An Abi Hurairata (ra) Qaala: Qaala Rasuulullah (pbuh),

لَيْسَ صَلاَةٌ أَثْقَلَ عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ وَالْعِشَاءِ، وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِيهِمَا لأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا،

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “No prayer is heavier upon the hypocrites than the Fajr and the `Isha’ prayers and if they knew what is in them (in reward), they would have attended them, even if (it was) crawling.

And that is because coming to the masjid for Salaatul Fajr and Isha is hard.  It involves sacrifice.  It involves fighting our own nafs, and the shayatiin, who are telling us to stay in bed, to get some extra sleep, you need the sleep.  It involves struggling against our own nafs, and the shayatiin, who are telling us to stay home and relax, enjoy our evening, enjoy ourselves after a long day at work.  You deserve it, you work hard.

But what about working hard for Jannah?  What about working hard to save ourselves from the Hellfire?  What about working hard to send something forward for our Akhirah?

Brothers and sisters, all of us say we want Jannah, but how many of us are willing to sacrifice and work to get it?  We say we want Allah to save us from the Hellfire, but what are we doing to help ourselves?  We want the top prize, but we want to do the least amount of work to get it, and some of us don’t even want to do that, brothers and sisters don’t even make salaat!  When are we going to put in the work, put in the sacrifice, if not now?  Are we waiting for a better time, or a better reason?

**  Sunan Ibn Majah » The Book On The Mosques And The Congregations

‘Aishah said:  “The Messenger of Allah said: ‘If the people knew what (reward) there is in the ‘Isha‘ prayer and fajr prayer, they would come even if they had to crawl.'” (Sahih)

“‏ لَوْ يَعْلَمُ النَّاسُ مَا فِي صَلاَةِ الْعِشَاءِ وَصَلاَةِ الْفَجْرِ لأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا ‏”‏ ‏.

Brothers and sisters in Islam, we should ask ourselves, what would it take for us to come to the masjid crawling, if that was the only way that we could get here?

Would we crawl to the masjid is we knew that it would save us from the Hellfire on Yawmul Qiyaama?  Would we be willing to crawl to the masjid, if that was the only way that we could get there, if we knew that Allah would forgive us our sins.

We, who commit sins day and night.  We, who involve ourselves in the Haraam, day in and day out, even though we know that we are disobeying Allah.  Would we come to the masjid crawling, if that was the only way that we could get there, if we knew that Allah would enter us into Jannah because of our coming to the Masjid for salaatul fajr and ishaa?

Allah is promising us this great reward if we come for fajr and ishaa, and on the other hand Shaytan and our own nafs is offering us nothing, to stay away, and we do.  Which is the better bargain?

And how many of us can come to the masjid today, without having to crawl?  How many of us can come in a car, or ride a bike, or walk to the masjid?  What’s keeping us from coming to the masjid today, when we don’t have to crawl?  Brothers, are we going to keep putting off coming to the masjid, until the day comes when we can’t come to the masjid?

Today we can come to the masjid, but what about tomorrow?  What if tomorrow Allah takes away our ability to come to the masjid, how many of us would have regrets then?  People have strokes, people have accidents, people experience problems and disasters in their lives that prevent them from being able to come to the worship of Allah.  People die everyday.  How many of us want to look back at our lives and see all the days that we could have come to the worship of Allah, but instead we chose to do something else?

We should ask ourselves, how many of our brothers and sisters, who are in their graves right now, would give the world and everything in it, if they could just come back to this world, just long enough to pray two rakat for the sake of Allah in the Masjid?  Now that they’ve seen with their own eyes the end results of their actions in this world.  Now that they’ve seen what their hands have sent forward for their akhirah.  Now that they know the reality of this life, and how it deceived them.  Are we waiting until that becomes us?   Today we have the chance to come to the masjid to worship Allah, how many of us have been promised tomorrow?

I ask Allah to help us to benefit from what we’ve heard here today.

Allahuma’ Eghfir Lil’ Muslimeena wal Muslimat, Wal Moumineena wal Mouminaat, Al-Ahya’ee minhum wal amwat, Innaka samee’un mujibul dawat

Inna Llaha wal malaikatahu yassalluna ala nabi, Ya ayuhaladhina amanu, sallu alaihi wa sallimu taslima. 

Allahumma salli ala Muhammad, wa ala alli Muhammad, kama sallaita ala Ibrahima, wa ala ali Ibrahima

Allhuma barak ala  Muhammad, wa ala ali Muhammad, kama barakta ala Ibrahima, wa ala ali Ibrahima, fil alamina innaka hamidun majid