The Book of the Masjids

Sufyan said: "I said to 'Amr: 'Did you hear Jabir say: "A man passed through the Masjid carrying arrows, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to him: 'Hold then by the blades.'? He said: 'Yes.'"

It was narrated that Al-Aswad said: "Alqamah and I entered upon 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud and he said to us: 'Have these people prayed?' We said: 'No.' He said: 'Get up and pray.' So we went to stand behind him, and he put one of us on his right and the other on his left, and he prayed with no Adhan and no Iqamah. When he bowed he interlaced his fingers and placed his hands between his knees, and he said: 'I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) doing that.'"

It was narrated that Sulaiman said: "I heard Ibrahim (narrate) from 'Alqamah and Al-Aswad from 'Abdullah," and he narrated something similar.

It was narrated from 'Abbad bin Tamim, from his paternal uncle, that he saw the messenger of Allah (ﷺ) lying on his back in the Masjid, placing one leg on top of the other.

It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar, that when he was young and single, with no family, at the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), he used to sleep in the Masjid of the Prophet (ﷺ).

It was narrated that Anas said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Spitting in the Masjid is a sin, and its expiation is to bury it.'"

It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw some sputum on the Qiblah wall. He scrapped it off then he turned to the people and said: "When any one of you is praying, let him not spit in front of him, for Allah is in front of him when he prays."

It was narrated from Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri that the Prophet (ﷺ) saw some spittle in the Qiblah of the Masjid. He scratched it off with a pebble and forbade a man to spit to his front or to his right. He said: "Let him spit to his left or beneath his left foot."

It was narrated that Tariq bin 'Abdullah Al-Muharibi said: 'When you are praying, do not spit to the front or to your right. Spit behind you or to your left if there is no one there, otherwise do this.' And he spat beneath his foot and rubbed it.'"

It was narrated from Abu Al-'Ala' bin Ash-Shikhir that his father said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) spit and then rub it with his left foot."

It was narrated that Anas bin Malik said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw some sputum in the Qiblah of the Masjid, and he became so angry that his face turned red. Then a woman from the Ansar went and scratched off, and put some perfume in its place. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'How good this is.'"

It was narrated that 'Abdul-Malik bin Sa'eed said: "I heard Abu Humaid and Abu Usaid say: 'The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "When any one of you enters the Masjid, let him say: 'Allahumma aftahli abwaba rahmatik (O Allah, open to me the gates of your mercy). And when he leaves let him say: Allahumma inni as'aluka min fadlik (O Allah, I ask You of Your bounty).'"

It was narrated from Abu Qatadah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "When any one of you enters the Masjid, let him pray two Rak'ahs before he sits down."

'Abdullah bin Ka'b said: "I heard Ka'b bin Malik telling the story of when he stayed behind from going out on the campaign of Tabuk with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He said: 'The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came back in the morning, and when he came back from a journey he would go to the Masjid first and pray two Rak'ahs there, then he would sit to (meet with) the people. When he did that, those who had stayed behind came to him and started giving their excuses, swearing by Allah. There were eighty-odd men, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) accepted what they declared and accepted their oaths of allegiance; he prayed for forgiveness for them and left whatever was in their hearts to Allah. Then when I came and greeted him, he smiled as one who is angry, then he said: 'Come here.' So I came and sat in front of him, [1] and he said: 'What kept you behind? Did you not buy a mount?' I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, if I were to sit before anyone other than you of those who hold high positions in this world, I would find a way to avoid his anger. I am an eloquent man but, by Allah, I know that if I were to tell you a lie today to make you pleased with me, Allah would soon make you angry with me, but if I tell you the truth, it will make you angry with me, but I will still have the hope that Allah may forgive me. I have never been in a better position, physically or financially, than the time when I stayed behind and did not join you.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'This man has spoken the truth. Go away until Allah decides concerning you.' So I got up and went away." This is an abridged version of narration.[1] It is this which the author cited the narration for. While the absence of the mention of a thing - in this case prayer - is not a proof that it does not exist.

It was narrated that Abu Sa'eed bin Al-Mu'alla said: "We used to go to the marketplace in the morning at the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and we would pass through the Masjid and pray there."

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "The angels send Salah upon any one of you so long as he is in the place where he prays, and so long as he does not invalidate his ablution, (saying): 'O Allah, forgive him, O Allah, have mercy on him.'"

Sahl As-Sa'idi, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: 'Whoever is in the Masjid waiting for the prayer, he is in a state of prayer.'"

It was narrated from 'Abdullah bin Mughaffal that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade praying in the camel pens.[1] A'tan: Kneeling places, or, where they kneel to drink water.

It was narrated that Jabir bin 'Abdullah said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'The earth has been made for me a place of prostration and a means of purification, so wherever a man of my Ummah is when the time for prayer comes, let him pray.'"

It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that Umm Sulaim asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to come to her and pray in her house so that she could take (the place where he prayed) as a Musalla (prayer place). So he came to her and she went and got a reed mat and sprinkled it with water, and he prayed on it, and they prayed with him.

It was narrated from Maimunah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray on a mat.

Abu Hazim bin Dinar narrated that some men came to Sahl bin Sa'd As-Sa'idi. They were wondering what kind of wood the Minbar was made of, so they asked him about that. He said: "By Allah, I know what it is made of. I saw it the first day it was set up and the first day the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sat on it. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent word to so-and-so" - a woman whose name Sahl mentioned - "telling her: 'Tell your carpenter slave to make me something of wood that I can sit on when I speak to the people.' So she told him, and he made it from tamarisk wood from Al-Ghabah (a place near Al-Madinah). Then he brought it and it was sent to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), who commanded that it be set up here. Then I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ascend it and praying on it, and saying the Takbir while he was on top of it, then he bowed when he was on top of it, then he came down backward and prostrated at the base of the Minbar, then he went back. When he had finished he turned to face the people and said: 'O people, I only did this so that you can follow me in prayer and learn how I pray.'"

It was narrated that Ibn 'Umar said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) praying on a donkey, when he was heading toward Khaibar."

It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that he saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) praying on a donkey while he was riding, praying toward Khaibar with the Qiblah behind him. Abu 'Abdur-Rahman (An-Nasa'i) said: We do not know of anyone who reported anything to support what 'Amr bin Yahya said about praying on a donkey. As for the Hadith of Yahya bin Sa'eed from Anas, what is correct is that it is Mawquf. [1] And Allah knows best.[1] That is a saying or action of a Companion of the Prophet (ﷺ)