"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'The earth has been made for me a place of prostration and a means of purification, so wherever a man of my Ummah is when the time for prayer comes, let him pray.'"
The Book of the Masjids - Sunan an-Nasa'i 736
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'The earth has been made for me a place of prostration and a means of purification, so wherever a man of my Ummah is when the time for prayer comes, let him pray.'"
Scholarly Commentary
This noble hadith establishes the universal accessibility of prayer for the Muslim Ummah. The phrase "the earth has been made for me a place of prostration" indicates that the entire earth is purified for prayer, unlike previous nations who were restricted to specific places of worship.
"A means of purification" refers to the concession of Tayammum (dry ablution) when water is unavailable or its use would cause harm. This demonstrates the ease and mercy embedded in Islamic legislation.
The concluding instruction "wherever a man of my Ummah is when the time for prayer comes, let him pray" emphasizes the obligation to perform prayers at their prescribed times regardless of location, provided the place is ritually clean. This facilitates worship during travel, work, or any circumstance preventing mosque attendance.
Scholars derive from this that prayers may be performed in any pure location except specifically prohibited places like graveyards or slaughterhouses. The comprehensive nature of this permission reflects the universality of the final message sent to all humanity.