Narrated by Abu Hurairah
By the One in whose hand is my soul, I was about to order firewood to be gathered, then order the prayer to be called, then appoint a man to lead the people, then go to men who do not attend the prayer and burn their houses down on them.
Sahih al-Bukhari 644, Sahih Muslim 651
What this hadith teaches
He ﷺ did not do it, but the warning shows how serious it is for men to leave the congregational prayer without excuse.
Reference and grade
- Grade
- Sahih: agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim
- Narrator
- Abu Hurairah
- Chapter
- Congregation and rows
The hadith in Arabic نص الحديث
وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ آمُرَ بِحَطَبٍ فَيُحْطَبَ، ثُمَّ آمُرَ بِالصَّلاَةِ فَيُؤَذَّنَ لَهَا، ثُمَّ آمُرَ رَجُلاً فَيَؤُمَّ النَّاسَ، ثُمَّ أُخَالِفَ إِلَى رِجَالٍ فَأُحَرِّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ بُيُوتَهُمْ، وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوْ يَعْلَمُ أَحَدُهُمْ أَنَّهُ يَجِدُ عَرْقًا سَمِينًا أَوْ مِرْمَاتَيْنِ حَسَنَتَيْنِ لَشَهِدَ الْعِشَاءَ
Arabic text of Sahih al-Bukhari 644, as given on sunnah.com.