"One prayer in the Masjid of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) is better than one thousand prayers offered in other mosques, except Al-Masjid Al-Haram, for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was the last of the prophets and his Masjid was the last of the Masjids." Abu Salamah and Abu 'Abdullah said: "We do not doubt that Abu Hurairah was speaking on the basis of the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), but we could not verify that Hadith with Abu Hurairah before he died. Then we remembered that and we blamed one another for not having spoken to Abu Hurairah about that, so that he could attribute it to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) if he had indeed heard it from him. While we were arguing, we went and sat down with 'Abdullah bin Ibrahim bin Qariz, and we told him about the Hadith and how we had been negligent in not checking it with Abu Hurairah. 'Abdullah bin Ibrahim said to us: 'I bear witness that I heard Abu Hurairah say: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: I am the last of the prophets and it is the last of the Masjids.'"
The Book of the Masjids - Sunan an-Nasa'i 694
This narration establishes the superior virtue of praying in the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, ranking it second only to the Sacred Mosque in Mecca. The hadith emphasizes the unique status of these two mosques in Islam, with the Prophet's Mosque receiving exceptional merit due to its connection with the final Messenger.
Scholarly Commentary
The phrase "better than one thousand prayers" indicates the immense spiritual reward for worship in the Prophet's Mosque, reflecting its special status as the mosque established by the final Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). This multiplication of reward applies to voluntary prayers, while obligatory prayers maintain their prescribed status.
The chain of narration demonstrates the meticulous care early scholars exercised in verifying prophetic traditions. The companions' concern about properly attributing the statement shows their scrupulous approach to hadith transmission, ensuring accuracy in preserving the Prophet's teachings.
The declaration "last of the prophets and his Masjid was the last of the Masjids" signifies the completion of prophethood and the permanent establishment of Islamic worship places. This does not mean no other mosques would be built, but rather that the Prophet's Mosque holds a unique, culminating position in Islamic history.
Legal Implications
This hadith establishes the hierarchy of mosques in Islam: Al-Masjid Al-Haram holds the highest rank, followed by the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, then Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, with all other mosques following thereafter.
The multiplied reward applies specifically to prayers performed within these sacred mosques and does not diminish the obligation to establish mosques and pray in local congregations elsewhere.