Compiled by Imam Abu Dawud as-Sijistani
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " صَلاَةُ الرَّجُلِ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ تَزِيدُ عَلَى صَلاَتِهِ فِي بَيْتِهِ وَصَلاَتِهِ فِي سُوقِهِ خَمْسًا وَعِشْرِينَ دَرَجَةً وَذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ إِذَا تَوَضَّأَ فَأَحْسَنَ الْوُضُوءَ وَأَتَى الْمَسْجِدَ لاَ يُرِيدُ إِلاَّ الصَّلاَةَ وَلاَ يَنْهَزُهُ إِلاَّ الصَّلاَةُ لَمْ يَخْطُ خَطْوَةً إِلاَّ رُفِعَ لَهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةٌ وَحُطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةٌ حَتَّى يَدْخُلَ الْمَسْجِدَ فَإِذَا دَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ كَانَ فِي صَلاَةٍ مَا كَانَتِ الصَّلاَةُ هِيَ تَحْبِسُهُ وَالْمَلاَئِكَةُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى أَحَدِكُمْ مَا دَامَ فِي مَجْلِسِهِ الَّذِي صَلَّى فِيهِ يَقُولُونَ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْهُ اللَّهُمَّ تُبْ عَلَيْهِ مَا لَمْ يُؤْذِ فِيهِ أَوْ يُحْدِثْ فِيهِ " .
Prayer said by a man in congregation is twenty five degrees more excellent than prayer said by him alone in his house or in the market. This is because when any of you performs ablution and does it perfectly, and goes out to the mosque having no intention except praying, and nothing moves him except prayer, then at every step which he takes his rank is elevated by one degree on account of this (walking), and one sin is remitted from him for this (walking), till he enters the mosque. When he enters the mosque, he will be reckoned as praying as long as he will be detained by the prayer. The angels keep on invoking blessing on any of you so long as he remains seated in the place he prayer, saying: O Allah, forgive him; O Allah, have mercy on him; O Allah, accept his repentance so long as he does not harm anyone, or breaks his ablution.