It is reported from Hazrat Ubay bib Ka’ab t that one day, after completing the Fajr jamaat, Rasoolullah r turned and faced the congregation directly (for it was his normal habit to turn to his right, in most cases, and occasionally to his left). He then asked: “Is so and so present? Is so and so present?” mentioning the names of three people who had not come for Fajr salaah that morning.
He then remarked: “The most difficult salaah on the hypocrites is Fajr and Esha Salaah, and if they knew the rewards in these two prayers, they would (certainly) attend, even if they had to crawl. And know that your salaah with one person is better than your salaah individually; and your salaah with two people is better than your salaah with one person. And the bigger the jamaat, the more beloved is such a salaah unto Allah. And take note, that the first saff is like the saff of the Malaa-ikah (angels). If you (really) understood its virtue, you would race towards the first saff. Indeed, the virtue of jamaat salah over a man’s individual salaah is 24 or 25 times greater.”
(Kanzul Ummal; Note: The doubt in the figure mentioned here is from the narrator
of the hadith)