Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) made a small room in the month of Ramadan (Sa`id said, "I think that Zaid bin Thabit said that it was made of a mat") and he prayed there for a few nights, and so some of his companions prayed behind him. When he came to know about it, he kept on sitting. In the morning, he went out to them and said, "I have seen and understood what you did. You should pray in your houses, for the best prayer of a person is that which he prays in his house except the compulsory prayers."
Hadith Text & Context
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) made a small room in the month of Ramadan (Sa`id said, "I think that Zaid bin Thabit said that it was made of a mat") and he prayed there for a few nights, and so some of his companions prayed behind him. When he came to know about it, he kept on sitting. In the morning, he went out to them and said, "I have seen and understood what you did. You should pray in your houses, for the best prayer of a person is that which he prays in his house except the compulsory prayers."
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 731 | Book: Call to Prayers (Adhaan)
Scholarly Commentary
This hadith demonstrates the Prophet's wisdom in gradually educating his companions. Initially praying in seclusion, when others joined him, he did not immediately correct them but waited until morning to provide gentle guidance.
The mat enclosure signifies the simplicity and humility of the Prophet's worship, contrasting with elaborate structures that might distract from devotion's essence.
The instruction to pray voluntary prayers at home contains profound wisdom: it preserves the mosque's primary function for congregational prayers, protects personal acts of worship from ostentation (riya'), strengthens household spirituality, and makes homes places of divine remembrance.
Juridical Rulings
The five daily obligatory prayers remain superior when performed in congregation at the mosque, as established in other authentic narrations.
Voluntary (nafil) prayers are generally better performed at home, except for prayers specifically linked to mosque attendance like tahiyyat al-masjid.
This teaching applies particularly to night prayers (tahajjud) and other supererogatory devotions outside the prescribed prayers.
Spiritual Benefits
Praying at home invites divine blessings into the household and establishes it as a center of worship.
Private worship fosters sincerity (ikhlas) by removing the potential for showing off one's devotion to others.
Family members, especially children, learn Islamic practices by observing prayers at home, ensuring religious continuity.