Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Offer some of your prayers in your houses and do not make them graves."
Prayer at Night (Tahajjud)
Sahih al-Bukhari - Hadith 1187
Hadith Text
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Offer some of your prayers in your houses and do not make them graves."
Commentary on the Prohibition
The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade making houses like graves by abandoning prayer therein. Graves are places where prayer is not performed, so houses where prayers are never offered become spiritually dead like graves.
Spiritual Significance of Home Prayers
Performing voluntary prayers at home brings divine blessings and mercy to the household. It illuminates the house and makes it a place where angels descend and Satan flees.
Scholarly Interpretation
Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani explains that this hadith encourages performing nawafil (supererogatory) prayers at home to distinguish them from obligatory prayers, which are better performed in congregation at the mosque.
Practical Application
Muslims should regularly offer sunnah, tahajjud, and other voluntary prayers in their homes to maintain spiritual vitality and prevent their dwellings from becoming like barren graves devoid of worship.