روي أنه قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: لو يعلم الناس ما في النداء والصف الأول ثم لم يجدوا إلا أن يستهموا عليه لاستهموا. ولو يعلمون ما في التهجير لاستبقوا إليه. ولو يعلمون ما في العتمة والصبح لأتوهما ولو حبوا.

Had people known the extent [of reward] in pronouncing the call [for prayers] and in [standing in] the first row [in congregational prayers] and then found no option but to draw lots on it, they would have drawn lots1; Had they known the extent [of reward] in coming for the afternoon prayers, they would race each other towards it; And had they known the extent [of reward] in the night and morning prayers, they would have come for them, even if they had to crawl [on their bellies]2.

Notes on the Text of the Narrative

This narrative or a part of it with some variations has been reported in Bukhārī (Nos. 590, 688 and 2543), Muslim (No. 437), Mu’attā of Imām Mālik (No. 149), Tirmidhī (No. 225), Nisā’ī (Nos. 540 and 671), Ibn Mājah (Nos. 796 and 998), Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (No. 7225, 7724, 8009, 8859, 10911, 12555, 21309 and 24550), Ibn Hibān (Nos. 1659 and 2153), Ibn Khuzaymah (Nos. 391, 1475, 1554 and 1555) Nisāī’s al-Sunan al-Kubrā (Nos. 386, 387, 1521 and 1635) Bayhaqī (Nos. 1861, 4973 and 21198) Ibn Abī Shaybah (No. 3355) and Abū Ya‘lā (No. 6475). The preferred text has been reported in Bukhārī (No. 590).

In some narratives, as in Tirmidhī (No. 225), the phrase لو يعلم الناس (had people known) has been reported as لو أن الناس يعلمون (had it been that people had known); in some narratives, as in Ibn Khuzaymah (No. 1555), these words have alternatively been reported as لو تعلمون (had you all known).

In some narratives, as in Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (No. 10911), the words ما في النداء (what is in pronouncing the call for prayers) have been reported as ما لهم في النداء (what is for them in pronouncing the call for the prayers); in some narratives, as in Ibn Khuzaymah (No. 391), these words have been reported as ما في الأذان (what is in pronouncing the Ādhān).

In some narratives, as in Bukhārī (No. 688), the phraseالصف الأول (the first row) has been rendered as الصف المقدم (the leading row).

In some narratives, as in Ibn Mājah (No. 998), the wordsثم لم يجدوا إلا أن يستهموا عليه لاستهموا (then found no option but to draw lots on it, they would have drawn lots) have been replaced by لكانت القرعة (there would have drawn lottery [for it]); in some narratives, as in Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (No. 7724), these words have been replaced with لاستهموا عليهما (they would have drawn lots on these two); in some narratives, as in Ibn Khuzaymah (No. 1555), these words have been replaced with ما كانت إلا قرعة (there would have been no option but to draw lots [for it]); in some narratives, as in Bayhaqī (No. 4973), these words have been reported as ما كان إلا قرعة (there would have been no option but to draw lots [for it]); while in some narratives, as in Abū Ya‘lā (No. 6475), these words have been replaced with كانت القرعة (there would have been drawing of lots [for it]).

In some narratives, as in Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (No. 7225), the preposition عليه (on it) have been added after the word لاستهموا (they would have drawn lots).

In some narratives, as in Nisāī (No. 540), the words ولو يعلمون ما في العتمة (and had they known what is in the night prayer) have been reported as ولو علموا ما في العتمة (if it were known to them what is in the night prayer).

In some narratives, as in Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (No. 24550), the words ما في العتمة والصبح (what is in the night and the morning prayers) have been reported as ما في صلاة العتمة وصلاة الصبح (what is in the night prayer and the morning prayer); in some narratives, as in Ibn Mājah (No. 796), these words have been reported asما في صلاة العشاء وصلاة الفجر (what is in the ‘ishā and the fajr prayers); in some narratives, as in Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (No. 21309), these words have been reported as ما في العشاء وصلاة الغداة (what is in the ‘ishā and the morning prayers); while in some narratives, as in Nisāī’s al-Sunan al-Kubrā’s (No. 387), these words have been reported as ما في هاتين الصلاتين (what is in these two prayers).

In some narratives, as in Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (No. 21309), the words من الفضل (from blessings) have been added after the phrase ما في العشاء وصلاة الغداة (what is in ‘ishā and the morning prayers).

In some narratives, as in Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (No. 12555), the Prophet (sws) is reported to have said:

لو يعلم المتخلفون عن صلاة العشاء وصلاة الغداة ما لهم فيهما لأتوهما ولو حبوا.

Had those who stay behind from the ‘ishā and the morning prayers known the extent [of reward] is for them in attending these two prayers, they would then have come for them, even if they had to crawl on their bellies.

 While in Ibn Abī Shaybah (No. 3355), the Prophet is reported to have said:

حافظوا على هاتين الصلاتين العشاء والصبح ولو تعلمون ما فيهما لأتيتموهما ولو حبوا على مرافقكم وركبكم.

Guard these two prayers: the ‘ishā and the morning prayer. Had you known the extent [of reward] lies in these prayers, you would then have come for them, even if you had to crawl on your elbows and your knees.

(This write-up is prepared by the Hadīth Cell of Jāved Ahmad Ghāmidī)

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1. Had people known how highly are these two deeds rewarded, they would all have then tried to pronounce the call for the prayers and to be a part of the foremost row of the congregation. However, because not all people could have done that, even after being present at the mosque, they would then have drawn lots to decide as to who should get the aspired privilege.

2. In this narrative, the Prophet (sws) is clearly reported to have urged people to do the stated deeds and, thereby, to render themselves deserving of the gracious rewards attached to these deeds.