The Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer

This hadith has been narrated by Jundab b. Sufyan in from the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) with the same chain of transmitters, but this has not been mentioned: " He would throw him in fire."

Mahmud b. al-Rabi' reported that 'Ibn b. Malik, who was one of the Companions of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) and who participated in the (Battle of) Badr and was among the Ansar (of Medina), told that he came to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and said: Messenger of Allah, I have lost my eyesight and I lead my people in prayer. When there is a downpour there is then a current (of water) in the valley that stands between me and them and I find it impossible to go to their mosque and lead them in prayer. Messenger of Allah, I earnestly beg of you that you should come and observe prayer at a place of worship (in my house) so that I should then use it as a place of worship. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Well, it God so wills. I would soon do so. 'Itban said: On the following day when the day dawned, the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) came along with Abu Bakr at-Siddiq, and the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) asked permission (to get into the house). I gave him the permission, and be did not sit after entering the house, when he said: At what place in your house you desire me to say prayer? I ('Itban b. Malik) said: I pointed to a corner in the house, The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) stood (at that place for prayer) and pronounced Allah-o-Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) (as an expression for the commencement of prayer). We too stood behind him, and he said two rak'ahs and then pronounced salutation (marking the end of the prayer). We detained him (the Holy Prophet) for the meat curry we had prepared for, him. The people of the neighbouring houses came and thus there was a good gathering in (our house). One of them said: Where is Malik b. Dukhshun? Upon this one of them remarked: He is a hypocrite; he does not love Allah and His Messenger. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Do not say so about him. Don't you see that he utters La ilaha ill-Allah (There is no god but Allah) and seeks the pleasure of Allah through it? They said: Allah and His Messenger know beet. One (among the audience) said: We see his inclination and wellwishing for hypocrites only. Upon this the Messenger of Allah' (may peace be upon him) again said: Verily Allah has forbidden the Fire for one who says: There is no god but Allah, thereby seeking Allah's pleasure. Ibn Shihab said: I asked Husain b. Muhammad al-Ansar (he was one of the leaders of Banu Salim) about the hadith transmitted by Mahmud b. Rabi' and he testified it.

'Itban b. Malik reported: I came to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and the rest of the hadith is the same as narrated (above) except this that a man said: Where is Malik b. Dukhshun or Dukhaishin, and also made this addition that Mahmud said: I narrated this ver hadith to many people and among them was Abu Ayyub al-Ansari who said: I cannot think that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) could have said so as you say. He (the narrator) said: I took an oath that if I ever go to 'Itban. I would ask him about it. So I went to him and found him to be a very aged man, having lost his eyesight, but he was the Imam of the people. I sat by his side and asked about this hadith and he narrated it In the same way as he had narrated it for the first time. Then so many other obligatory acts and commands were revealed which we see having been completed. So he who wants that he should not be deceived would not be deceived.

Mahmud b. Rabi' reported: I well remember the disgorge of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) that he did (with water) from a bucket of our house. Mahmud said: 'Itban b. Malik narrated it to me that he had said: Messenger of Allah, I have lost my eyesight, and the rest of the hadith is the same up to these words:" He led us in two rak'ahs of prayer and we detained the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) for serving him the pudding that we had prepared for him," and no mention has been made of what follows next from the addition made by Yunus and Ma'mar.

Anas b. Malik reported that his grandmother, Mulaika, invited the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) to a dinner which she had prepared. He (the Holy Prophet) ate out of that and then said: Stand up so that I should observe prayer (in order to bless) you Anas b. Malik said: I stood up on a mat (belonging to us) which had turned dark on account of its long use. I sprinkled water over it (in order to soften it), and the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) stood upon it, and I and an orphan formed a row behind him (the Holy Prophet) and the old woman was behind us, and the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) led us in two rak'ahs of prayer and then went back.

Anas b. Malik reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) wits the best among people in character. On occasions, the time of prayer would come while he was in our house. He would then order to spread the mat lying under him. That was dusted and then water was sprinkled over it. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) then led the prayer and we stood behind him, and that mat was made of the leaves of date-palm.

Thabit reported on the authority of Anas: The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) came to us and there was none in our house but I, my mother and my aunt Umm Haram. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Stand up so that I may lead you in prayer (and there was no time for prescribed prayer). He led us in prayer. A person said to Thabit: Where stood Anas with him (the Holy Prophet)? He replied: He was on the right side. He then blessed us, the members of the household with every good of this world and of the Hereafter. My mother said: Messenger of Allah (and then, pointing towards Anas, said), here is your little servant, invoke the blessing of Allah upon him too. He then blessed me with every good, and he concluded his blessings for me (with these words): Allah! increase his wealth, and his children and make (them the source of) blessing for him.

Abdullah b. al-Mukhtar heard Musa b. Anas narrating on the authority of Anas b. Malik that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) led him, his mother or his aunt in prayer. He made me, stand on his right side and made the woman stand, behind us.

This hadith has also been narrated by Shu'ba with this chain of transmitters.

Maimuna, the wife of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him), reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said prayer while I was by his side, and at times when he prostrated his cloth touched me, and he prayed on a small mat.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported that he went to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and found him observing prayer on a mat and prostrating on that.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: A man's prayer in congregation is more valuable than twenty degrees and some above them as compared with his prayer in his house and his market, for when he performs ablution doing it well, then goes out to the mosque, and he is impelled (to do so) only by (the love of congregational) prayer, he has no other objective before him but prayer. He does not take a step without being raised a degree for it and having a sin remitted for it, till he enters the mosque, and when he is busy in prayer after having entered the mosque. the angels continue to invoke blessing on him as long as he is in his place of worship. saying: O Allah, show him mercy, and pardon him! Accept his repentance (and the angels continue this supplication for him) so long as he does not do any harm in it, or as long as his ablution is not broken.

A hadith having the same meaning (as mentioned above) has been transmitted by A'mash.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The angels invoke blessings on everyone among you so long as he is in a place of worship with these words: O Allah! pardon him, O Allah, have mercy upon him, (and they continue to do so) as long as, he ablution (of the worshipper) is not broken, and one among you is in prayer and so long as he is detained for the prayer.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The servant is constantly in prayer so long as he is in a place of worship waiting for the prayer (to be observed in congregation), and the angels invoke (blessings upon him in these words): O Allah! pardon him. O Allah! show mercy to him, (and they continue to do so) till he returns (from the mosque having completed the prayer) or his ablution breaks. I said: How is the ablution broken? He said: By breaking of the wind noiselessly or with noise.

Abu Huraira reported the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) as saying: Everyone among you is constantly in prayer so long as the prayer detains him (for this noble objective) and nothing prevents him to return to his family but the prayer.

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Anyone amongst you who sat in a place of worship waiting for the prayer is in prayer and his ablution is not broken, the angels invoke blessing upon him (in these words): O Allah! pardon him. O Allah! have mercy upon him.

A hadith like this has been narrated by Hammam b. Munabbih on the authority of Abu Huraira.

Abu Musa reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The most eminent among human beings (as a recipient of) reward (is one) who lives farthest away, and who has to walk the farthest distance, and he who waits for the prayer to observe it along with the Imam, his reward is greater than one who prays (alone) and then goes to sleep. In the narration of Abu Kuraib (the words are):" (He waits) till he prays along with the Imam in congregation."

Ubayy b. Ka'b reported: There was a man, and I do not know of any other man, whose house was farther than his from the mosque and he never missed the prayer (in congregation). It was said to him or I said to him: It you were to buy a donkey you could ride upon it In the dark nights and in the burning sand. He said: I do not like my house to be situated by the side of the mosque, for I (eagerly) desire that my steps towards the mosque and back from it, should be recorded when I return to my family. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Allah has gathered all (rewards) for you.

This hadith has been transmitted by Taimi with the same chain of narrators.

Ubayy b. Ka'b reported: There was a person among the Ansar whose house was situated at the farthest end of Medina, but he never in missed any prayer along with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). We felt pity for him and said to him: O, so and so, had you bought a donkey it would have saved you from the burning sand and would have saved you from the reptiles of the earth. He said: Listen I by Allah, I do not like my house to be situated by the side of Muhammad (may peace be upon him). I took (these words of his) ill and came to the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) and informed him about (these words). He (the Holy Prophet) called him and he said exactly like that (which he had mentioned to Ubbay b. Ka'b), but made a mention of this (also) that he wanted a reward for his steps. Upon this the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: In fact for you is the reward which you expect.

A hadith like this has been narrated by 'Asim with the same chain of transmitters.

Jabir b. 'Abdullah narrated: Our houses were situated far away from the mosque; we, therefore, decided to sell our houses so that we may be able to come near the mosque. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) forbade us (to do so) and said: There is for every step (towards the mosque) a degree (of reward) for you.

Jabir b. Abdullah reported: There were some plots vacant around the mosque. Banu Salama decided to shift (to this land) and come near the mosque. This (news) reached the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and he said to them (Banu Salama): I have received (information) that you intend to shift near the mosque. They said: Yes, Messenger of Allah, we have taken this decision. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: O Banu Salama, live in your houses, for your steps are recorded; live in your houses, for your steps are recorded.

Jabir b. Abdullah reported that Banu Salama decided to shift near the mosque (as there were) some plots vacant. This (news) reached the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him), whereupon he said: O people of the Salama tribe, you better stay in your houses (where you are living), for your footsteps are recorded They said. We could not be more delighted even by shifting (near the mosque) as we were delighted (on hearing these words from the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him).

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be' upon him) said: He who purified himself in his house, and then he walked to one of the houses of Allah for the sake of performing a Fard (obligatory act) out of the Fara'id (obligatory acts) of Allah, both his steps (would be significant) as one of them would obliterate his sin and the second one would raise his status.

In the hadith narrated of the authority of Abd Huraira the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) is reported to have said. while in the hadith narrated by Bakr (the words are like this): He heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) as saying: just see, can anything of his filthiness remain (on the body of) any one of you if there were a river at his door in which he washed himself five times daily? They, said: Nothing of his filthiness will remain (on his body). He said: That is like the five prayers by which Allah obliterates sins.

Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: The similitude of five prayers is like an overflowing river passing by the gate of one of you in which he washes five times daily Hasan said: No filthiness can remain on him.

Ata' b. Yasar reported, on the authority of Abu Huraira, the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) as saying: He who went towards the mosque in the morning or evening, Allah would arrange a feast for him morning or evening in Paradise.