Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Prayer said in a congregation is twenty-seven degrees more excellent than prayer said by a single person.”
Narrated Abu Dharr who had gone up on the step of the Ka'ba said:
He who knows me knows me, and if anyone does not know me, I am Jundub* who heard God's Messenger say, “There is no prayer after the morning prayer till the sun rises, or after the afternoon prayer till the sun sets except in Mecca, except in Mecca, except in Mecca.”
Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “By Him in whose hand my soul is, I have thought about giving orders for fuel and having it gathered, then giving orders for prayer and having the adhan called for it, then ordering a man to lead the people, then going off to some people (who are not present at the prayer, as it says in a version) and burning down their houses over them. By Him in whose hand my soul is, if one of them knew he would find a fat meaty bone or two fine sheep’s hoofs, he would attend the evening prayer.”
Bukhari transmitted it and Muslim has something similar.
Mu'awiya said, “You observe a prayer which we who were the companions of God's Messenger never saw him pray; indeed, he forbade them;”* meaning the two rak'as after the afternoon prayer.
* The dual is used here, the reference being to the two rak’as.
