Chapter IV: Secrets of Prayer
(6) Ranks of entering a mosque: Nobody should go to the front row of the mosque crossing the necks of men. The Prophet said: On the resurrect on day such a person will be made a bridge and the people would tread over him. Once when the Prophet was reciting khutba, he noticed that a man was advancing towards the front row after crossing over the necks of man. After finishing prayer, the Prophet called him and said: O such a person, what prevented you to pray Jumma with me today. He said: O Prophet of God, I prayed with you. The Prophet said:
Have I not found you to cross over the necks of men? He hinted by this that his action has become void. In another narration, the Prophet said to him: What prevented you to pray with me? He said: O Prophet of God, have you not seen me? The Prophet said:
I have seen you coming late and giving trouble to the people present. In other words you have delayed to come at dawn and have given trouble to those present.
(7) Don't go to the mosque by the front of a praying man, keep wall or pillar or stick in front when praying so that the people may not pass by your front. The Prophet said: His waiting for 40 years is better than his going by the front of men. The Prophet said: It is better for any man to be powdered to earth to
154 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
be blown off by air like refuges than to cross the front of a praying man.
(8) Try to take seat in the first row. There is in Hadis: If a man takes bath and tells another to take bath, if a man rises early and makes another awake early and goes near the Imam and hears, the sins which he has committed between two Jumma and additional three days become expiration for him.
(9) Prayer should be stopped at the time when the Imam gets upon the pulpit. The prophet said: If a man says to another at the time when the Imam delivers address 'Be silent', he holds useless talk. The Jumma of one who holds useless talk is not performed.
(10) Follow the Imam in Jumma. When the Jumma is finished, recite before talk the chapters 'Alham do Lillah' seven times, 'Ikhlas' seven times., 'Falaq' seven times and Nas seven times. A certain sage said: He who does this remains safe up to the next Jumma from the devil.
GOOD DEEDS ON JUMMA DAY
(1) Be present at the assembly of learning at dawn Or after prayer. There is ahadis that to remain present in an assembly of learning is better than optional prayer of one thousand rak'ats.