Practical steps to exhort a husband to congregational Salah

All praise be to Allah and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his Companions, and those who follow him.

May Allah bless your husband, dear honorable sister, and may Allah increase your satisfaction with him and may Allah fill your house with happiness. May Allah reward you for your keenness to Salah which is the greatest pillar of Islam.

The first practical step is to know the ruling of offering Salah in congregation and telling your husband about that in a nice way. You may seek the help of some of our material on the website such as: "Exhortation to Salah and offering it in congregation," "An advice on the obligation of offering Salah in congregation and its virtue," "Warning the nation against neglecting Salah in congregation and leaving Friday Salah," and "An advice to those who lag behind Salah in congregation." Moreover, you may get some audio materials from Islam way Website.

The second is: After establishing the ruling of offering Salah in congregation in his mind, explain to him that it is obligatory on everyone hears the call of Salah of those who are able to perform it and the one who is able to offer it in the masjid but offers it in his house is sinful because he had missed the great reward as Allah (Glory be to Him) says in the Qur'an: "When you (O Messenger Muhammad peace be upon him) are among them, and lead them in As-Salât (the prayer), let one party of them stand up [in Salât (prayer)] with you." [Surat An-Nisa': 102].

Allah (may He be Exalted) commanded Muslims to offer Salah in congregation during the state of fear (in war), so offering it elsewhere is more obligatory.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are the `Isha' Salah and the Fajr Salah. If they knew what there is in them, they would come even if they had to crawl. I was thinking of ordering the Iqamah for Salah, then I would tell a man to lead the people in prayer, and I would set out with men carrying bundles of firewood, and go to people who do not attend the prayer and burn their houses down around them."' [Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim]. So, he considered lagging behind the congregational Salah is one of the attributes of hypocrites.

As long as men hear the call of Salah, they have to respond to the call because the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not give license to the blind man to offer Salah at home, but he said to him: Do you hear the call for Salah? He said: Yes. He said: Then respond. [Reported by Muslim].

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever hears the call (for Salah) then did not come, he will take no reward for his Salah except he had an excuse." [Reported by Ibn Majah on the authority of Ibn `Abbas].

It was reported in Sahih Muslim that `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Whoever would like to meet Allah, may He be exalted, tomorrow as a Muslim, let him preserve these prayers where the call is made for them. For indeed Allah has prescribed the Sunnah of guidance to your Prophet (peace be upon him) and they (the prayers) are among the Sunnah of guidance. If you pray in your houses like this one who stays away from the Masjid, prays in his house, you will have forsaken the Sunnah of your Prophet, and if you forsake the Sunnah of your Prophet you will go astray. There is no man who purifies himself and purifies himself well, then he goes to one of these Masajid, but Allah will record one good deed for him for every step he takes, and will raise him in status one degree thereby, and will erase one bad deed thereby. I remember when no one would stay away but a hypocrite whose hypocrisy was known, and a man would come staggering between two others in order to stand in the row."

Third, those who neglect congregational Salah have weak faith, and deprive themselves of a great reward, they should know that the reward is equal to the hardships faced. It was reported in Sahih Al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) 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."

Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "The person who will receive the highest reward for Salah (prayer) is the one who comes to perform it in the mosque from the farthest distance, then the farthest." [Reported by Muslim].

Ubay ibn Ka`b narrated: "There was a person among the Ansar whose house was situated at the farthest end of Medina, but he never in missed any prayer along with the Messenger of Allah (may peace and blessings be upon him). We felt pity for him and said to him: O, so and so, had you bought a donkey it would have saved you from the burning sand and would have saved you from the reptiles of the earth. He said: Listen I by Allah, I do not like my house to be situated by the side of Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him). I took (these words of his) ill and came to the Prophet of Allah (may peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him about (these words). He (the Prophet) called him and he said exactly like that (which he had mentioned to Ubbay ibn Ka'b), but made a mention of this (also) that he wanted a reward for his steps. Upon this the Prophet of Allah (may peace and blessings be upon him) said: In fact for you is the reward which you expect. [Reported by Muslim].

Jabir ibn `Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: "(The people of) Banu Salamah intended to shift near the mosque (of the Prophet (peace be upon him)) but Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) disliked to see Madinah vacated and said: "O the people of Banu Salamah! Don't you think that you will be rewarded for your footsteps which you take towards the mosque?" So, they stayed at their old places." [Reported by Muslim].

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Shall I tell you something by which Allah effaces the sins and elevates ranks (in Paradise)?" The Companions said: "Certainly, O Messenger of Allah." He (peace be upon him) said: "Performing the ablution thoroughly in spite of difficult circumstances, walking with more paces to the masjid, and waiting for the next As-Salat (the prayer) after observing Salah; and that is Ar-Ribat, and that is Ar-Ribat." [Reported by Muslim].

This Hadith indicates that the one who neglects it is only deprived of goodness. Imam Ash-Shawkany said in As-Sayl Al Jarar: The deprived is the one who was deprived of offering Salah in congregation because a Salah which reward equals twenty seven cannot be left for a Salah which reward equals part of these twenty seven. If a person satisfies with a small portion in worldly dealings, he would deserve confinement to his actions because he has reached an advanced stage of foolishness.

Fourth, seeking the help of Allah and keenness to obeying Him, desiring for His Reward, asking for His Aid, and abandoning negligence.

Fifth, utter frequently "La Hawla wa la Quwwata Illah billah [No might nor strength save in Allah]" and acting according to it, for a person is incapable of bringing about benefit or pushing away harms, and no one can provide aid to him whether in his worldly or religious affairs but Allah. So, whomever Allah helps and provides aid to is the helped and the deprived is the one whom Allah lets down. A person cannot change his condition from a state to another except by the help of Allah, therefore "La Hawla wa la Quwwata Illah billah [No might nor strength save in Allah]" is one of the treasures of Paradise. We all in need to seek the help of Allah in doing commands, abandoning prohibitions, and observing patience on hardships, at the time of death, and on the Day of Recompense, and none can help a Muslim but Allah (Glory be to Him), therefore the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Be keen to things that may benefit you, seek the help of Allah, and do not refrain from it." [Reported by Muslim].

Finally, I recommend him of turning away from people and do not pay attention to people, their sayings, and their curiosity. From now on, he should start rebelling against his reality to search for the reasons of his weakness, and he should be sure of Allah's Help to him as long as he is serious and truthful. In the beginning, he may offer Salah in a remote masjid until he accustoms to punctuality, become strong, then moves to the neighborhood masjid if he wants; what is important is not to leave Salah in congregation.

May Allah guide him to goodness!