The Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer

Abdullah ibn Barrad al-Ash‘ari and Abu Kurayb reported to us; they said: Abu Usamah reported to us, from Burayd, from Abu Burdah, from Abu Musa, who said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘The greatest reward in prayer belongs to those who walk the farthest to reach it. One who waits for the prayer until praying it with the imam has a greater reward than one who prays it and then sleeps.’ Abu Kurayb’s narration says: ‘until he prays it with the imam in congregation.’

Hajjaj ibn al-Sha‘ir reported to us: Rawh ibn Ubadah reported to us: Zakariyya ibn Ishaq reported to us: Abu al-Zubayr reported to us, saying: I heard Jabir ibn Abdullah say: Our homes were far from the mosque, and we wanted to sell them and move nearer to the mosque. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade us, saying: ‘For every step you take, there is a degree.’

Ishaq ibn Mansur narrated to me; Zakariyya ibn 'Adi informed us; 'Ubayd Allah—meaning Ibn 'Amr—informed us, from Zayd ibn Abi Unaysah, from 'Adi ibn Thabit, from Abu Hazim al-Ashja'i, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Whoever purifies himself at home, then walks to one of Allah's houses to perform one of the obligations Allah has ordained, his two steps will have these effects: one erases a sin, and the other raises him a degree.’

Qutaybah ibn Sa'id narrated to us; Layth narrated to us. (Another chain.) Qutaybah said: Bakr—meaning Ibn Mudar—narrated to us. Both reported from Ibn al-Had, from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim, from Abu Salamah ibn 'Abd al-Rahman, from Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said. In Bakr's narration, he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: ‘What do you think? If a river were at someone's door and he bathed in it five times every day, would any grime remain on him?’ They said: ‘No grime would remain on him.’ He said: ‘That is the likeness of the five prayers: through them Allah wipes away sins.’

Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah and Abu Kurayb narrated to us; both said: Abu Mu'awiyah narrated to us, from al-A'mash, from Abu Sufyan, from Jabir—who was Ibn 'Abd Allah—who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘The likeness of the five prayers is that of a deep-flowing river at someone's door, in which he bathes five times every day.’ Al-Hasan said: ‘What grime would that leave behind?’

Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah and Zuhayr ibn Harb narrated to us; both said: Yazid ibn Harun narrated to us; Muhammad ibn Mutarrif informed us, from Zayd ibn Aslam, from 'Ata ibn Yasar, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): ‘Whoever goes to the mosque in the morning or evening, Allah prepares for him a welcome in Paradise each time he goes in the morning or evening.’