The Shaykh’s explanation of the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said
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The Shaykh : The eleventh hadith. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It is agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim, and this is the wording of Muslim. And his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): is with an open ya and ha and a zay, meaning it takes him out and makes him stand up.
This hadith explains the virtue of congregational prayer, and not only that, but also the virtue of the steps one takes to go to congregational prayer, and not only that, but also sitting in the mosque waiting for congregational prayer. In all these preliminaries before congregational prayer, there are these virtues and these good deeds that he (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned. As for congregational prayer itself, its virtue is twenty-seven degrees, as in some explicit hadiths. This is an explanation of the "bida'" mentioned in this hadith, where he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So "bida'" here, linguistically, is known to be less than ten. Its explanation came in a hadith also from al-Bukhari and Muslim: twenty-seven degrees. This number does not contradict the other narration of twenty-five degrees, because it is a known principle among scholars of usul al-fiqh and scholars of hadith that one always takes the additional amount, whether in rulings or in reports. So the twenty-five are included in the twenty-seven, and both numbers, twenty-five and twenty-seven, explain "bida'" from the Arabic perspective.
Therefore, what one should believe is that congregational prayer is twenty-seven degrees better than the prayer of an individual, whether he prays it in his home or in the market.
The prayer of a man in congregation is twenty-five degrees better than his prayer in his market or his home. That is because when one of them performs wudu' and perfects his wudu', then he goes to the mosque, not wanting anything but prayer, nothing making him stand up but prayer, nothing driving him but prayer. He does not take a step except that a degree is raised for him by it and a sin is removed from him by it, until he enters the mosque. And when he enters the mosque, he is in prayer as long as the prayer holds him. And the angels pray for one of you as long as he is in the place where he prayed, saying: O Allah, have mercy on him. O Allah, forgive him. O Allah, turn to him in repentance, as long as he does not cause harm in it—in the mosque—as long as he does not do anything in it.
صلاة الرجل في جماعة تزيد على صلاته في سوقه وبيته بضعا وعشرين درجة وذلك أن أحدهم إذا توضأ فأحسن الوضوء ثم أتى المسجد لا يريد إلا الصلاة لا ينهزه إلا الصلاة لا يدفعه إلا الصلاة لم يخطو خطوة إلا رفع له بها درجة وحط عنه بها خطيئة حتى يدخل المسجد فإذا دخل المسجد كان في الصلاة ما كانت الصلاة هي تحبسه والملائكة يصلون على أحدكم ما دام في مجلسه الذي صلى فيه يقولون اللهم ارحمه اللهم اغفر له اللهم تب عليه مالم يؤذ فيه - في المسجد - مالم يحدث فيهmakes him stand up
ينهزهThis hadith explains the virtue of congregational prayer, and not only that, but also the virtue of the steps one takes to go to congregational prayer, and not only that, but also sitting in the mosque waiting for congregational prayer. In all these preliminaries before congregational prayer, there are these virtues and these good deeds that he (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned. As for congregational prayer itself, its virtue is twenty-seven degrees, as in some explicit hadiths. This is an explanation of the "bida'" mentioned in this hadith, where he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
The prayer of a man in congregation is twenty-five degrees better than his prayer in his market, in his place, in his shop, in his store, and in his home if he prays alone.
صلاة الرجل في جماعة تزيد على صلاته في سوقه، في محله، في دكانه، في متجره، وفي بيته إذا صلى وحده بضعا وعشرين درجةTherefore, what one should believe is that congregational prayer is twenty-seven degrees better than the prayer of an individual, whether he prays it in his home or in the market.