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He
Cannot Catch Up
Ubaidullah bin Umar Qawariri said," I never missed the evening
congregational prayer (prayer with Jamath). But once a guest
came to my house and I remained in his company until late.
I went out, looking for any mosque in Basra at which I could
catch the evening prayer, but to no avail. The people had
all prayed and gone home. I returned to my house,saying to
myself,'It is reported in tradition that congregational prayer
is twenty-seven times more excellent than individual prayer.'
So I prayed the evening prayer twenty-seven times over and
slept. I saw in a dream that I was with a group of people
who were racing on horses, and I was also racing with them
on my horse but my horse was falling behind. I kicked my horse
to catch up with them but I could not. One of the riders turned
to me and said,"Do not urge your horse, for you will not be
able to catch up with us." I said,"Why not?" He replied,"We
prayed evening in congregation and you prayed it alone!" Therefore,
I learned a lesson and was deeply grieved."
Source: The Major Sins Al-Kaba'r By Muhammad bin 'Uthman
Adh-Dhahabi, rendered into English by Mohammad Moinuddin Siddiqui.
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