Hadithcore
Sahih Muslim, 251a
sahih

Abu Huraira reported:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Should I not suggest to you that by which Allah obliterates the sins and elevates the ranks (of a man). They (the hearers) said: Yes, Messenger of Allah. He said: Performing the ablution thoroughly despite odds, tranverside of more paces towards the mosque, and waiting for the next prayer after observing a prayer, and that is mindfulness.

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ، وَقُتَيْبَةُ، وَابْنُ، حُجْرٍ جَمِيعًا عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ، - قَالَ ابْنُ أَيُّوبَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، - أَخْبَرَنِي الْعَلاَءُ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ أَلاَ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى مَا يَمْحُو اللَّهُ بِهِ الْخَطَايَا وَيَرْفَعُ بِهِ الدَّرَجَاتِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ إِسْبَاغُ الْوُضُوءِ عَلَى الْمَكَارِهِ وَكَثْرَةُ الْخُطَا إِلَى الْمَسَاجِدِ وَانْتِظَارُ الصَّلاَةِ بَعْدَ الصَّلاَةِ فَذَلِكُمُ الرِّبَاطُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 2, Hadith 54
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Book 2, Hadith 485 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
Prayer is of great prestige in Islam, for it is one of its pillars and bases. The Prophet (ﷺ) clarified that Allah boasted about His worshiping servants and those waiting for prayer's appointed times before His angels. In this sense, the Prophet (ﷺ) told his companions about three reasons for which Allah obliterated sins and elevated ranks. First: Properly washing each member during ablution despite difficulties like coldness or pain. Second: Frequently going to mosques to attend congregational prayers. Third: Waiting for the next obligatory prayer after performing the current obligatory one. Then, he explained that those sticking to these three acts were just like those defending the frontier, which was one of the greatest acts of worship in the sight of Allah. This Prophetic similarity confirmed that these acts were means to fight and block devilish whispers and one's prohibited whims. In another narration, the Prophet (ﷺ) repeated it thrice, "That is the defense of the frontier,” to confirm their great reward..
Related hadiths4
Compare isnād across 4 related chains →