The Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer

كتاب الْمَسَاجِدِ وَمَوَاضِعِ الصَّلاَةِ

Chapter 37: The virtue of the Subh and the `Asr prayers, and of maintaining them

Waki' reported (this hadith) with the same chain of transmitters (that the Holy Prophet) said

You will be soon presented before your Lord, and you will see Him as you are seeing this moon, and then recited (the above-mentioned verse). But (in this hadith) no mention is made of Jarir.

Chapter 38: The beginning of the time for Maghrib when the sun sets

Rafi' b. Khadij reported

We used to observe the evening prayer with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and then one of us would go away and he could see the (distant) place where his arrow would fall.

Chapter 39: The time of `Isha and delaying it

A hadith like this has been narrated by Ibn Shihab with the same chain of transmitters, but therein no mention has been made of the words of al-Zuhri

It was narrated to me, and that which followed.

Abdullah b. Umar reported

We waited one night in expectation of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) for the last prayer of the night, and he came out to us when a third of the night had passed even after that. We do not know whether he had been occupied with family business or something else. When he came cut he said: You are waiting for prayer, for which the followers of no other religion wait. except you. Were it not a burden for my Ummah, I would have led them (in the 'Isya' prayer) at this hour. He then ordered the Mu'adhdbin (to call for prayer) and then stood up for prayer and observed prayer.

Abu Musa reported

I and my companions who had sailed along with me in the boat landed with me in the valley of Buthan while the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was staying in Medina. A party of people amongst them went to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) every night at the time of the 'Isya' prayer turn by turn. Abu Musa said: (One night) we (I and my companions) went to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he was occupied in some matter till there was a delay in prayer so much so that it was the middle of the night. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then came out and led them (Musa's companions) in prayer. And when he had observed his prayer he said to the audience present: Take it easy, I am going to give you information and glad tidings that it is the blessing of Allah upon you for there is none among the people, except you, who prays at this hour (of the night), or he said: None except you observed prayer at this. (late) hour. He (i. e. the narrator) said: I am not sure which of these two sentences he actually uttered. Abu Musa, said: We came back happy for what we heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

Chapter 40: It is recommended to pray Subh early, at the beginning of its time, when it is still dark; and the length of recitation therein

Sayyar b. Salama reported

I heard my father asking Abu Barza (al- Aslami) about the prayer of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) I (Shu'ba, one of the narrators) said: Did you hear it (from Abu Barza)? He said: 1 feel as if I am bearing you at this very time. He said: I heard my father asking about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he (Abu Barza) making this reply: He (the Holy Prophet) did not mind delaying-some (prayer) i. e. 'Isya' prayer, even up to the midnight and did not like sleeping before observing it, and talking after it. Shu'ba said: I met him subsequently and asked him (about the prayers of the Holy Prophet) and he said: He observed the noon prayer when the sun was past the meridian, he would pray the afternoon prayer, after which a person would o to the outskirts of Medina and the sun was still bright; (I forgot what he said about the evening prayer) ; I then met him on a subsequent occasion and asked him (about the prayers of the Holy Prophet; and he said: He would observe the morning prayer (at such a time) so that a man would go back and would recognise his neighbour by casting a glance at his face, and he would recite from sixty to one hundred verses in it.

Chapter 41: It is disliked to delay the prayers beyond their proper times, and what a person should do if the Imam delays the prayer

Abu Dharr reported

(The Messenger of Allah) said: How would you, or how would thou, act if you survive to live among people who defer prayer beyond the (prescribed) time? (The narrator said: Allah and His Messenger know best). whereupon he said: Observe prayer at its prescribed time, but if the Iqama is pronounced for (congregational) prayer, then observe prayer along with them. for herein is an excess of virtue.

Abu'l-'Aliyat al-Bara' reported

I said to 'Abdullah b. Samit: We say our Jumu'a prayer behind those rulers who defer the prayer. He ('Abdullah b. Samit), struck. my thigh that I felt pain and said: I asked Abu Dharr about it, he struck my thigh and said: I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about it. Upon this he said: Observe prayer at its prescribed time, and treat prayer along with them (along with those Imams who deter prayer) as Nafl. 'Abdullah said: It was narrated to me that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) struck the thigh of Abd Dharr.

Chapter 42: The virtue of prayer in congregation, and clarifying the stern warning against staying away from it, and that it is fard kifayah

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

Prayer said in a congregation is twenty-five degrees more excellent than prayer said by a single person.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are the night prayer and the morning prayer. If they were to know the blessings they have in store, they would have come to them, even though crawling, and I thought that I should order the prayer to be commenced and command a person to lead people in prayer, and I should then go along with some persons having a fagot of fuel with them to the people who have not attended the prayer (in congregation) and would burn their houses with fire.

Chapter 45: The prohibition of leaving the masjid once the Mu’adhdhin has called the Adhan

Abu Sha'tha' reported

While we were sitting with Abu Huraira in a mosque a man went out of the mosque after the call to prayer had been announced. (A man stood up in the mosque and set off.) Abu Huraira's eyes followed him till he went out of the mosque. Upon this Abu Huraira said: This man has disobeyed Abu'l- Qasim (Muhammad) (ﷺ).

Chapter 48: It is permissible to offer voluntary prayers in congregation, and to pray on hasir (palm-fiber mats), khumrah (small mats), cloth, and other pure things

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

Chapter 49: The virtue of offering the obligatory prayers in congregation, the virtue of waiting for prayer and taking many steps towards the masjid, the virtue of walking to the masjid

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

Chapter 50: The virtue of taking many steps to the masjid

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

Jabir b. Abdullah reported that Banu Salama decided to shift near the mosque (as there were) some plots vacant. This (news) reached the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), 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 (ﷺ).

Chapter 51: Walking to prayer erases sins and raises one in status

Ata' b. Yasar reported, on the authority of Abu Huraira, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) 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.

Chapter 52: The virtue of sitting in one’s prayer place after Subh, and the virtue of the masajid

Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said

The parts of land dearest to Allah are its mosques, and the parts most hateful to Allah are markets.

Chapter 53: Who is more entitled to lead the prayer

This hadith has been narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri by another chain of transmitters.

Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari reported

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to us: The one who is well grounded in Allah's Book and is distinguished among them in recitation should act as; Imam for the people. and if they are equally versed in reciting it, then the one who has most knowledge regarding Sunnah; if they are equal regarding the Sunnah, then the earliest one to emigrate; If they emigrated at the same time, then the oldest one in age. No man must lead another in prayer in latter's house or where (the latter) has authority, or sit in his place of honour in his house, except that he gives you permission or with his permission.

This hadith has been transmitted by Ayyub with the same chain of narrator.