Prayer

He also reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone comes to a mosque for a purpose, he will attain it.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Fatima daughter of al-Husain said on the authority of her grand-mother, Fatima the elder,* that when the Prophet (ﷺ) entered the mosque he would pray for blessings and safety for himself and say, “My Lord, forgive me my sins, and open to me the gates of Your mercy.” And when he went out he would pray for blessings and safety for himself and say, “My Lord, forgive me my sins, and open to me the gates of Your abundance.” *The daughter of the Prophet (ﷺ) who married ‘Ali. Tirmidhi, Ahmad and Ibn Majah transmitted it. In the version of the last two she said that when he entered the mosque, and also when he came out, he said, “In the name of God, and peace be upon God’s Messenger,” instead of “he would pray for blessings and safety for himself.” Tirmidhi said that its <i>isnad</i> is not connected, for Fatima daughter of al-Husain was not born in the lifetime of Fatima the elder.

‘Amr b. Shu'aib on his father’s authority reported his grandfather as saying that God’s Messenger prohibited the recitation of poems in a mosque, buying and selling in it, and sitting in a circle in a mosque on Friday before the prayer. Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying:

When you see anyone buying or selling in a mosque, say, “May God not make your trading profitable!” And when you see anyone calling out in it about something lost, say, “May God not restore it to you.” Tirmidhi and Darimi transmitted it.

Hakim b. Hizam said that God's Messenger prohibited retaliation being taken in a mosque, the recitation of poems in it, and the infliction of punishment in it. Abu Dawud in his <i>Sunan</i> and the author of <i>Jami‘ al-usul</i> (<i> Ibn al-Athir</i>) in his work transmitted it from Hakim, but in <i>al-Masabih</i> it is transmitted from Jabir.

Mu'awiya said on the authority of his father that God’s Messenger forbade these two plants, i e., onions and garlic, and said, “He who eats them must not come near our mosque.” He also said, “If you must eat them, suppress their odour* by cooking.” * Lit. put them to death. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The whole earth is a mosque, with the exception of a graveyard and a bath.” Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Darimi transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar said that there were seven places in which God’s Messenger forbade people to pray:

a dunghill, a slaughterhouse, a graveyard, the middle of the road, a bath, places where camels kneel to drink, and on the roof of God’s House. Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Pray in sheep-folds, but not where camels kneel to drink.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas said that God’s Messenger cursed women who visited graves, people who put mosques there and those who lit lamps there. Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Abu Umama said that a Jewish doctor asked the Prophet (ﷺ) what places were best, but he did not answer his question, saying, “I shall say nothing till Gabriel comes.” So he remained silent, and when Gabriel came he asked him, but he replied, “The one who is asked knows no more than the one who asks, but I shall ask my Lord.” Later Gabriel said, “Muhammad, I approached my Lord nearer than I have ever come before.” When Muhammad asked about that, he replied, “Between Him and me there were seventy thousand veils of light, and He said that the worst places were their markets and the best their mosques.”* *The source of the tradition is not given in the text. The editor of the Damascus edition says it comes rightly from Ibn Hibban from Ibn ‘Umar.

Abu Huraira said that he heard God’s Messenger say, “If anyone comes to this mosque of mine, coming only for some good which he will learn or teach, he ranks a <i>mujahid</i> in God’s path; but if anyone comes for some other purpose, he ranks as a man who looks [enviously] at another’s property.” Ibn Majah and Baihaqi, in <i>Shu'ab al-iman</i>, transmitted it.

Al-Hasan reported in <i>mursal</i> form that God's Messenger said, “A time is coming when people will talk in their mosques about their worldly affairs, so do not sit with them, for God has nothing to do with them.” Baihaqi transmitted it in <i>Shu'ab al-iman</i>.

As-Sa'ib b. Yazid said that when he was sleeping in the mosque a man threw a pebble at him, and when he looked he saw that it was ‘Umar b. al-Khattab, who said, “Go and bring me these two men.” He brought them and ‘Umar asked them what tribe they belonged to, or what place they came from. On their replying that they belonged to at-Ta’if, he said, “If you had belonged to Medina I would have given you a beating for raising your voices in the mosque of God’s Messenger. Bukhari transmitted it.

Malik said that ‘Umar built a courtyard called al-Butaiha’ in the neighbourhood of the mosque and said, “If anyone wants to make a noise, or recite poetry, or raise his voice, he must go out to this courtyard.” He transmitted it in <i>al-Muwatta'</i>.

Anas said that the Prophet (ﷺ) saw some mucus in the direction of the <i>qibla</i> and his displeasure was apparent in his face, so he got up, scraped it with his hand and said, “When one of you gets up to pray, he is holding intimate converse only with his Lord, and his Lord is between him and the <i>qibla</i>, so none of you must spit in the direction of the <i>qibla</i>, but towards his left side, or under his foot.” Then he took the end of his cloak, spat in it, folded it up and said, “Or he may do thus.” Bukhari transmitted it.

As-Sa'ib b. Khallad, who was one of the Prophet's companions, said:

A man led some people in prayer and spat in the direction of the qibla. Having seen this, God’s Messenger said to the people at the end of the prayer, “He must not lead you in prayer.” The man wanted to lead them in prayer some time afterwards, but they prevented him and told him what God's Messenger had said. He mentioned that to God’s Messenger, who replied, “Yes.” And I think he added, “You have harmed God and His Messenger.’’ Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Mu'adh b. Jabal said:

God’s Messenger was detained one morning from observing the prayer with us till the sun had almost appeared over the horizon. He then came cut quickly, and when the <i>iqama</i> had been uttered he conducted the prayer in a shortened form; then when he had given the salutation he called out to us saying, “Keep to your rows as you were.” Then turning to us he said, “I shall tell you what detained me from you this morning. I got up during the night, performed ablution, and prayed what I could; but during my prayer I dozed and was overcome, and there and then I saw my Lord in the most beautiful form. He addressed me by name, and when I replied, ‘At Your service, my Lord,’ He asked, ‘What do the angels near My presence dispute about?’ and I replied that I did not know. He asked it three times. Then I saw Him put the palm of His hand between my shoulder-blades, so that I experienced the coolness of His fingers between my nipples so everything became clear to me and I attained knowledge. He then addressed me by name, and when I replied, ‘At Your service, my Lord,’ He asked, ‘What do the angels near My presence dispute about?’ I replied, ‘Expiation.’ He asked what they were, and I replied, ‘Walking on foot to the congregational prayers, sitting in the mosques after the prayers are over, and performing complete ablution in difficult circumstances. He asked what next they disputed about, and when I said it was about degrees, He asked what they were and I replied, ‘Providing food, speaking gently, and praying at night when people are asleep.’ He then told me to make a request, and I said, ‘O God, I ask You for power to do good things and abandon objectionable things, for love towards the poor, that You shouldest forgive me and show mercy to me, and that when You intendest to test any people You wilt take me to Thyself without being led astray. And I ask for Your love, the love of those who love You, and a love of doing things which will bring me near to Your love.’” Then God’s Messenger said, “It is true, so study it and learn it.” Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Tirmidhi said, “This is a <i>hasan sahih</i> tradition. I asked Muhammad b. Isma'il (Al-Bukhari) about this tradition, and he said it is a <i>sahih</i> tradition.”

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘As said that God’s Messenger used to say on entering the mosque, “I seek refuge in God the mighty, in His noble being, and in His power which is from everlasting from the accursed devil.” He said that when the devil heard that he said, “He is protected from me for the rest of the day.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Ata’ b. Yasar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “O God, do not let my grave become an idol which is worshipped. God’s anger is severe against people who take the graves of their prophets as mosques.” Malik transmitted it in <i>mursal</i> form.