Hadith:
1. Abu Musa (RadiyAllahu Anhu) reported: The Messenger of Allah (Sallellahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) 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.”
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
COMMENTARY:
This Hadith tells us that a person who comes to the mosque for Salat from a longer distance earns a greater reward than the others who live near the mosque. It also mentions the merit of performing Salat in congregation and waiting for it till one performs it behind the Imam.
2. Buraidah (RadiyAllahu Anhu) reported: The Messenger of Allah (Sallellahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) 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.”
[At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud]
COMMENTARY:
“In the darkness” here indicates the Fajr and ‘Isha’ prayers which are performed when it is dark. Because of the street lighting nowadays we do not feel darkness in these hours in towns and cities but even then these lights do not overcome the darkness completely. Thus in spite of the lights, Fajr and ‘Isha’ prayers are the prayers of the dark. Their merit mentioned in this Hadith is that those Muslims who go to the mosque for these prayers will be endowed with perfect light on the Day of Requital by means of which they will easily cross As-Sirat, while those who will be deprived of this light will be facing great trouble in crossing it.