Sahih Bukhari 477

حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ ، عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، قَالَ : صَلَاةُ الْجَمِيعِ تَزِيدُ عَلَى صَلَاتِهِ فِي بَيْتِهِ ، وَصَلَاتِهِ فِي سُوقِهِ خَمْسًا وَعِشْرِينَ دَرَجَةً ، فَإِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ إِذَا تَوَضَّأَ فَأَحْسَنَ وَأَتَى الْمَسْجِدَ لَا يُرِيدُ إِلَّا الصَّلَاةَ ، لَمْ يَخْطُ خَطْوَةً إِلَّا رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً وَحَطَّ عَنْهُ خَطِيئَةً حَتَّى يَدْخُلَ الْمَسْجِدَ ، وَإِذَا دَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ كَانَ فِي صَلَاةٍ مَا كَانَتْ تَحْبِسُهُ وَتُصَلِّي يَعْنِي عَلَيْهِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ مَا دَامَ فِي مَجْلِسِهِ الَّذِي يُصَلِّي فِيهِ ، اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْهُ مَا لَمْ يُحْدِثْ فِيهِ .

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, The prayer offered in congregation is twenty five times more superior (in reward) to the prayer offered alone in one's house or in a business center, because if one performs ablution and does it perfectly, and then proceeds to the mosque with the sole intention of praying, then for each step which he takes towards the mosque, Allah upgrades him a degree in reward and (forgives) crosses out one sin till he enters the mosque. When he enters the mosque he is considered in prayer as long as he is waiting for the prayer and the angels keep on asking for Allah's forgiveness for him and they keep on saying: 'O Allah! Be Merciful to him, O Allah! Forgive him, as long as he keeps on sitting at his praying place and does not pass wind. (See Hadith No. 620).