Primary reference: “Al-Amal al-Mudaa
afah” (Dar al-Watan, Riyadh)
By Sulaymaan ibn Saalih al-Kharaashi
“So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord.” [18:110]
How great will be the regret of those who waste this opportunity?
1. Preserving the ties of kinship: ” Whoever wishes that his provision be increased and his age lengthened, let him maintain the ties of kinship.” [al-Bukhari and Muslim]
2. Performing many prayers in the two noble Harams (in Makkah and Madinah): “Prayer in this masjid of mine is superior to a thousand prayers elsewhere, except for Masjid al-Haram, and prayer in Masjid al-Haram is superior to one hundred thousand prayers elsewhere.” [Ahmad and ibn Majah]
3. Performing prayers in congregation. “Prayer in congregation is superior to praying individually twenty-seven times.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
4. Praying `Isha and Fajr in the congregation: “He who prays Isha’ in Jama’ah [congregation] is as if he has prayed for half the night. As to him who (also) prays Fajr in congregation, it is as if he has prayed all night.” [narrated by Malik and the wording is that of a Muslim who also reported it]
5. Performing voluntary prayers at home. “Superiority of a man’s prayer in his home over his prayer when people see him is like the superiority of an obligatory prayer over a voluntary one.” [al-Bayhaqi, classed as Saheeh by al-Albani]
“The most superior prayer of a person is in his home, except for obligatory prayers.” [al-Bukhari and Muslim]
6. Observing some manners of the day of Jumu`ah. “Whoever ghassala (washes his head, and it is said: has intercourse with his wife so that it be a means to lower the gaze from the haram that day) on the day of Jumuah, then comes in the earliest time and before the first khutbah, walks and doesn’t ride, stays near the Imam, listens and does not speak – for each step [he makes] he has actions of one year, the reward of fasting and standing in prayer in it.” [Ahl as-Sunan]
7. Salat ul-Ishraq. “Whoever prays al-ghadaa (i.e. al fajr) in congregation, then sits remembering Allah until sunrise, then prays two units of prayer, has a complete reward of Hajj and Umrah [The Prophet, sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam, repeated ‘complete’ three times for emphasizing].” [at-Tirmidhi, classed as Saheeh by al-Albani]