Priortising Going To The Mosque Early For The Friday Prayer

نْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَنْ اغْتَسَلَ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ غُسْلَ الْجَنَابَةِ ثُمَّ رَاحَ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَرَّبَ بَدَنَةً وَمَنْ رَاحَ فِي السَّاعَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَرَّبَ بَقَرَةً وَمَنْ رَاحَ فِي السَّاعَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَرَّبَ كَبْشًا أَقْرَنَ وَمَنْ رَاحَ فِي السَّاعَةِ الرَّابِعَةِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَرَّبَ دَجَاجَةً وَمَنْ رَاحَ فِي السَّاعَةِ الْخَامِسَةِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَرَّبَ بَيْضَةً فَإِذَا خَرَجَ الْإِمَامُ حَضَرَتْ الْمَلَائِكَةُ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الذِّكْرَ

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

Whoever takes bath due to sexual defilement on Friday and goes out (for Friday prayer), is treated like one who offers a camel as sacrifice; he who goes out in the second instance as one who offers a cow; he who goes out in the third instance is treated as one who offers horned cow ; he who goes out in the fourth instance is treated as one who offers hen ; he who goes out in the fifth instance is treated as one who offers an egg. When the Imam comes out (for sermon), the angels too attend to listen to the sermon.

Narrated in Sunan Abi Dawud, hadith no. 35

Grade: Sahih (authentic)

Translation source: https://sunnah.com/abudawud/1/351

Lessons:

1. It is encouraged for Muslim men to expedite going to the mosque for the Friday prayer and to cleanse themselves thoroughly before doing so.

2. The reward for those who come early to the mosque is not the same as those who come later (i.e. those who come early will be rewarded more).

3. The angels write down on their scrolls the names of those who enter the mosque to perform the Friday prayer. The angels stop writing the names and close their scrolls when the imam starts the sermon (khutbah).

Let us prioritise going to the mosque early for Friday prayers and may we always have our name recorded in the angels’ scrolls among those who come early.