5/42. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 649d — Congregation Equals Twenty-Five Prayers
The virtue of prayer in congregation, and clarifying the stern warning against staying away from it, and that it is fard kifayah
Hadith About Prayer in Congregation Equaling Twenty-Five Prayers
Sahih Muslim : 649d
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 649d
وَحَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ بْنِ قَعْنَبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَفْلَحُ، عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ حَزْمٍ، عَنْ سَلْمَانَ الأَغَرِّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " صَلاَةُ الْجَمَاعَةِ تَعْدِلُ خَمْسًا وَعِشْرِينَ مِنْ صَلاَةِ الْفَذِّ " .
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Prayer said in a congregation is equivalent to twenty-five (prayers) as compared with the prayer said by a single person.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 649dIn-book reference : Book 5, Hadith 308USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 4, Hadith 1363
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 649d
This hadith about prayer in congregation uses a simple comparison. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said that prayer in congregation is equivalent to twenty-five prayers compared with the prayer of a single person. The teaching is direct and easy to understand. The hadith does not discuss every case of praying alone; it simply shows the greater merit of praying with others. This is why searches like jamaat prayer reward, prayer in congregation hadith, and twenty-five prayers hadith all connect to this narration. A believer reading it can see that the congregation is not just a social gathering. It is a worship setting where the same prayer carries greater worth than praying by oneself.
What we learn from this hadith
- Congregational prayer carries a greater value than solitary prayer.
- The comparison helps Muslims take the mosque and Imam seriously.
- The hadith encourages joining the group when prayer is established.
