The Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer

كتاب الْمَسَاجِدِ وَمَوَاضِعِ الصَّلاَةِ

Chapter 44: Prayer in congregation is one of the sunnah of guidance

Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) reported

He who likes to meet Allah tomorrow as Muslim, he should persevere in observing these prayers, when a call is announced for them, for Allah has laid down for your Prophet the paths of right guidance, and these (prayers) are among the paths of right guidance. If you were to pray in your houses as this man why stays away (from the mosque) prays in his house, you would abandon the practice of your Prophet, and if you were to abandon the practice of your Prophet, you would go astray. No man purifies himself, doing it well, then makes for one of those mosques without Allah recording a blessing for him for every step he takes raising him a degree for it, and effacing a sin from him for it. I have seen the time when no one stayed away from it, except a hypocrite, who was well known for his hypocrisy, whereas a man would be brought swaying (due to weakness) between two men till he was set up in a row.

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).

Abu Sha'tha' al-Muharibi reported on the authority of his father, who said

I heard it from Abu Huraira that he saw a person getting out of the mosque after the call to prayer had been announced. Upon this he remarked: This (man) disobeyed Abu'l-Qasim (ﷺ).

Chapter 46: The virtue of praying `Isha and Subh in congregation

'Abd al-Rahman b. Abd 'Amr reported

'Uthman b. 'Affan (narrated the mosque after evening prayer and sat alone. I also sat alone with him, so he said: 0, son of my brother, I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: He who observed the 'Isha' prayer in congregation, it was as if he prayed up to midnight, and he who prayed the morning prayer in congregation, it was as if he prayed the whole night.

This hadith has been narrated by the chain of transmitters by Abu Sahl 'Uthman b. Hakim.

Jundab b. 'Abdullah reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

He who prayed the morning prayer (in congregation) he is in fact under the protection of Allah. And it can never happen that Allah should demand anything from you in connection with the protection (that He guarantees) and one should not get it. He would then throw him in the fire of Hell.

Anas b. Sirin reported

I heard Jundab b. Qasri saying that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: He who observed the morning prayer (in congregation), he is in fact under the protection of Allah and it never happens that Allah should make a demand in connection with the protection (that He guarantees and should not get it) for when he asks for anything in relation to His protection, he definitely secures it. He then throws him flatly in the Hell-fire.

This hadith has been narrated by Jundab b. Sufyan in from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) with the same chain of transmitters, but this has not been mentioned

" He would throw him in fire."

Chapter 47: Concession allowing one to not attend the congregation if there is an excuse

Mahmud b. al-Rabi' reported that 'Ibn b. Malik, who was one of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and who participated in the (Battle of) Badr and was among the Ansar (of Medina), told that he came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) 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 (ﷺ) 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 (ﷺ) 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 (ﷺ) 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 (ﷺ) 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' (ﷺ) 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 (ﷺ) 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 (ﷺ) 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 (ﷺ) 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 (ﷺ) 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.

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

Anas b. Malik reported that his grandmother, Mulaika, invited the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) 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 (ﷺ) 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 (ﷺ) led us in two rak'ahs of prayer and then went back.

Anas b. Malik reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) 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 (ﷺ) 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 (ﷺ) 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 (ﷺ) 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 Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), reported

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) 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 (ﷺ) and found him observing prayer on a mat and prostrating on that.

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

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) 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.