The Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer

Abu Dharr reported: I said: Messenger of Allah, which mosque was set up first on the earth? He said: Al-Masjid al-Haram (the sacred). I (again) said: Then which next? He said: It was the Masjid Aqsa. I (again) said: How long the space of time (between their setting up)? He (the Holy Prophet) said: It was forty years. And whenever the time comes for prayer, pray there, for that is a mosque; and in the hadith transmitted by Abu Kamil (the words are):" Whenever time comes for prayer, pray, for that is a mosque (for you)."

Ibrahim b. Yazid al-Tayml reported: I used to read the Qur'an with my father in the vestibule (before the door of the mosque). When I recited the ayat (verses) concerning prostration, he prostrated himself. I said to him: Father, do you prostrate yourself in the path? He said: I heard Abu Dharr saying: I asked the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) about the mosque that was first set up on the earth. He said: Masjid Harim. I said: Then which next? He said: The Masjid al-Aqsa. I said: How long is the space of time between the two? He said: Forty years. He (then) further said: The earth is a mosque for you, so wherever you are at the time of prayer, pray there.

Jabir b. 'Abdullah al-Ansari reported: The Prophet (may peace be upon him) said: I have been conferred upon five (things) which were not granted to anyone before me (and these are): Every apostle wassent particularly to his own people, whereas I have been sent to all the red and the black the spoils of war have been made lawful for me, and these were never made lawful to anyone before me, and the earth has been made sacred and pure and mosque for me, so whenever the time of prayer comes for any one of you he should pray whenever he is, and I have been supported by awe (by which the enemy is overwhelmed) from the distance (which one takes) one month to cover and I have been granted intercession.

Jabir b. 'Abdullah related that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said, and he related like this.

Hudhaifa reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be npon him) said: We have been made to excel (other) people in three (things): Our rows have been made like the rows of the angels and the whole earth has been made a mosque for us, and its dust has been made a purifier for us in case water is not available. And he mentioned another characteristic too

Hudhaifa reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said like this.

Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon hlmg) said: I have been given superiority over the other prophets in six respects: I have been given words which are concise but comprehensive in meaning; I have been helped by terror (in the hearts of enemies): spoils have been made lawful to me: the earth has been made for me clean and a place of worship; I have been sent to all mankind and the line of prophets is closed with me.

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: I have been commissioned with words which are concise but comprehensive in meaning; I have been helped by terror (in the hearts of enemies): and while I was asleep I was brought the keys of the treasures of the earth which were placed in my hand. And Abfi Huraira added: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) has left (for his heavenly home) and you are now busy in getting them.

Abu Huraira reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) saying a hadith like that of Yunus.

This hadith has been narratted by Abu Huraira by another chain of transmitters.

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: I have been helped by terror (in the heart of the enemy) ; I have been given words which are concise but comprehensive in meaning; and while I was asleep I was brought the keys of the treasures of the earth which were placed in my hand.

Hammam b. Munabbih reported: That is what Abu Huraira reported to us from the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and he narrated (some) ahadith one of which is that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: I have been helped by terror (in the hearts of enemies) and I have been given words which are concise but comprehensive in meaning.

Anas b. Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) came to Medina and stayed in the upper part of Medina for fourteen nights with a tribe called Banu 'Amr b 'Auf. He then sent for the chiefs of Banu al-Najir, and they came with swords around their inecks. He (the narrator) said: I perceive as if I am seeing the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) on his ride with Abu Bakr behind him and the chiefs of Banu al-Najjar around him till he alighted in the courtyard of Abu Ayyub. He (the narrator) said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said prayer when the time came for prayer, and he prayed in the fold of goats and sheep. He then ordered mosques to be built and sent for the chiefs of Banu al-Najjar, and they came (to him). He (the Holy Prophet) said to them: O Banu al-Najjar, sell these lands of yours to me. They said: No, by Allah. we would not demand their price, but (reward) from the Lord. Anas said: There (in these lands) were trees and graves of the polytheists, and ruins. The Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) ordered that the trees should be cut, and the graves should be dug out, and the ruins should be levelled. The trees (were thus) placed in rows towards the qibla and the stones were set on both sides of the door, and (while building the mosque) they (the Companions) sang rajaz verses along with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him): O Allah: there is no good but the good of the next world, So help the Ansar and the Muhajirin.

Anas reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to pray in the folds of the sheep and goats before the mosque was built.

Abu al-Tiyyah reported: I heard from Anas a narration like this from the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him).

Al-Bara' b. 'Azib reported: I said prayer with the Apostle (may peace be upon him) turning towards Bait-ul-Maqdis for sixteen months till this verse of Surah Baqara wis revealed:" And wherever you are turn your faces towards it" (ii. 144). This verse was revealed when the Apostle (may peace be upon him) had said prayer. A person amongst his people passed by the people of Ansar as they were engaged in prayer. He narrated to them (this command of Allah) and they turned their faces towards the Ka'ba.

Abu Ishaq reported: I heard al-Bara' saying: We prayed with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) (with our faces) towards Bait-ul-Maqdis for sixteen months or seventeen months. Then we were made to change (our direction) towards the Ka'ba.

Ibn 'Umar reported: As the people were praying at Quba' a man came to them and said: It has been revealed to file Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) during the night and he has been directed to turn towards the Ka'ba. So turn towards it. Their faces were towards Syria and they turned round towards Ka'ba.

Ibn 'Umar reported: As the people were engaged in the morning prayer a man came to them. The rest of the hadith is the same.

Anas reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to pray towards Bait-ul-Maqdis, that it was revealed (to him):" Indeed We see the turning of the face to heaven, wherefore We shall assuredly cause thee to turn towards Qibla which shall please thee. So turn thy face towards the sacred Mosque (Ka'ba)" (ii. 144). A person from Banu Salama was going; (he found the people) in ruk'u (while) praying the dawn prayer and they had said one rak'ah. He said in a loud voice: Listen! the Qibla has been changed and they turned towards (the new) Qibla (Ka'ba) in that very state.

'A'isha reported: Umm Habiba and Umm Salama made a mention before the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) of a church which they had seen in Abyssinia and which had pictures in it. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: When a pious person amongst them (among the religious groups) dies they build a place of worship on his grave, and then decorate it with such pictures. They would be the worst of creatures on the Day of judgment in the sight of Allah.

'A'isha reported: They (some Companions of the Holy Prophet) were conversing with one another in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) (during his last) illness. Umm Salama and Umm Habiba made a mention of the church and then (the hadith was) narrated.

'A'isha reported: The wives of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be Upon him) made a mention of the church which they had seen in Abyssinia which was called Marya, and the rest of the hadith is the same.

'A'isha reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said during his illness from which he never recovered: Allah cursed the Jews and the Christians that they took the graves of their prophets as mosques. She ('A'isha) reported: Had it not been so, his (Prophet's) grave would have been in an open place, but it could not be due to the fear that it may not be taken as a mosque.

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Let Allah destroy the Jews for they have taken the graves of their apostles as places of worship.

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Let there be curse of Allah upon the Jews and the Christians for they have taken the graves of their apostles as places of worship.

'A'isha and Abdullah reported: As the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was about to breathe his last, he drew his sheet upon his face and when he felt uneasy, he uncovered his face and said in that very state: Let there be curse upon the Jews and the Christians that they have taken the graves of their apostles as places of worship. He in fact warned (his men) against what they (the Jews and the Christians) did.

Jundub reported: I heard from the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) five days before his death and he said: I stand acquitted before Allah that I took any one of you as friend, for Allah has taken me as His friend, as he took Ibrahim as His friend. Had I taken any one of my Ummah as a friend, I would have taken Abu Bakr as a friend. Beware of those who preceded you and used to take the graves of their prophets and righteous men as places of worship, but you must not take graves as mosques; I forbid you to do that.

Ubaidullah al-Khaulini reported: 'Uthman b. 'Affan listened to the opinion of the people (which was not favourable) when he rebuilt the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). Thereupon he said: You have not been fair to me for I have heard from the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) saying: He who built a mosque for Allah, the Exalted, Allah would build for him a house in Paradise. Bukair said: I think he (the Holy Prophet) said: While he seeks the pleasure of Allah (by building the mosque). And in the narration of Ibn 'Isa (the words are):" (a house) like that (mosque) in Paradise."

Mahmud b. Labid reported: When 'Uthman b. 'Affan intended to build the mosque (of the Prophet) the people did not approve of it. They liked that it should be kept in the same state. Thereupon he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) say: He who built a mosque for Allah, Allah would build a house for him like it in Paradise.