Ziyarah of the grave of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa Sallam)

Excellence of offering 40 Salaat in Masjid Nabawi

It is the ultimate aim of a Muslim to pay his/her respects to the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and it is a great privilege and honor to offer as many Salaat as possible in the Masjid, which has such a relationship of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).

Offering 40 Salaat in Masjid Nabawi, which all the organizers stress, is because the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has given the good news of freedom from the fire of Hell, safety from hypocrisy (Nifaq) and relief from punishment of Hell, as given in a Hadith in Musnad Imam Ahmed and Majma Uz Zawaaid:

Translation: Hadhrat Anas Bin Malik (May Allah be well pleased with him) narrates from the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam):  Any person who offers 40 Salaat in My Masjid in such a way that no Salaat is missed, for that person freedom from Hell and relief from punishment of Hell is decreed and that person is saved from hypocrisy. (Musnad Imam Ahmed, Hadith No. 12123, Pg. No: 55; Majma Uz Zawaaid, Vol. 4, Pg. No: 8)

The author of Majma Uz Zawaaid, Hadhrat Ali Bin Abu Bakr Bin Sulaiman Haithami (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) writes after mentioning this Hadith:

Translation: I say that Imam Tirmidhi has recorded a part of this Hadith.  Imam Ahmed has recorded this in his Musnad and Imam Tabarani in his Mo’jam Ausat and the narrators of this Hadith are reliable and trustworthy.

This Hadith is also mentioned in Mo’jam Ausat of Imam Tabarani, Vol. 5, Hadith No. 5602, with a slight change in wording:

Translation:  It has been narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Anas (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Whoever offers 40 Salaat in my Masjid in such a way that no Salaat is missed, Allah decrees for that person freedom from hell and deliverance from the punishment of hell.