The Book On The Mosques And The Congregations

Mahmūd ibn Labīd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: 'Uthmān ibn' Affān (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted to build the mosque, but the people did not like this idea, and they wished that he should keep it as it was. Thereupon, he said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'He who builds a mosque for Allah, Allah will build for him the like of it in Paradise.'"

Mahmūd ibn Labīd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: 'Uthmān ibn' Affān (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted to build the mosque, but the people did not like this idea, and they wished that he should keep it as it was. Thereupon, he said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'He who builds a mosque for Allah, Allah will build for him the like of it in Paradise.'"

Mahmūd ibn Labīd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: 'Uthmān ibn' Affān (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted to build the mosque, but the people did not like this idea, and they wished that he should keep it as it was. Thereupon, he said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'He who builds a mosque for Allah, Allah will build for him the like of it in Paradise.'"

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The Hour will not be established until people boast about mosques."

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "All of the earth is a mosque (prayer place) except the graveyard and the bathroom."

Mahmūd ibn Labīd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: 'Uthmān ibn' Affān (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted to build the mosque, but the people did not like this idea, and they wished that he should keep it as it was. Thereupon, he said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'He who builds a mosque for Allah, Allah will build for him the like of it in Paradise.'"

‘Ā'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered us to build mosques in different localities and that they should be kept clean and perfumed.

‘Ā'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: Abu Bakr As-Siddīq (may Allah be pleased with him) had a slave who used to give him a portion of his daily income as the master's share. Abu Bakr used to eat the food bought with that share. Once he brought him some food and Abu Bakr ate from it. The slave then said: "Do you know what this is?" Abu Bakr said: "What is it?" The slave said: "I did some soothsaying for a man before I embraced Islam, and I was not good at soothsaying but I deceived him. He met me and rewarded me for my work. That is what you have eaten from." Upon hearing this, Abu Bakr inserted his hand (in his mouth) and vomited all that was in his stomach.

Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a man announced (the loss of his camel) in the mosque, saying out loud: "Has any one seen the red camel?" Upon this the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "May you not find it! The mosques are built for the purpose they are built."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever hears a man inquiring in the mosque about something he has lost should say: 'May Allah not restore it to you,' for indeed mosques are not built for this."

Abu Humayd or Abu Usayd reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When any of you enters the mosque, let him say: 'Allahumma iftah li abwāba rahmatik' (O Allah, open for me the gates of Your mercy). And when he leaves, let him say: 'Allahumma inni as’aluka min fadlik' (O Allah, I ask You of Your bounty)."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "When any of you enters the mosque, let him send peace upon the Prophet and say: Allāhumma iftahli abwāba rahmatik (O Allah, open for me the gates of Your mercy). And when he leaves, let him send peace upon the Prophet and say: Allāhumma i‘simni min ash-shaytān ar-rajīm (O Allah, protect me from the accursed devil)." In another narration by Al-Hākim: "When he leaves, let him send peace upon the Prophet (ﷺ) and say: Allāhumma ajirni min ash-shaytān ar-rajīm (O Allah, save me from the accursed devil)."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Shall I not guide you to what Allah erases the sins and elevates the ranks with?" They said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah. He said: "Performing ablution thoroughly despite the hardships, frequent steps to mosques, and waiting for one prayer after another; such is the Ribāt (garrison)."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A man's prayer in congregation is twenty-something degrees higher than his prayer in his house and market. When one performs ablution and perfects it, then goes out to the mosque, nothing motivates him except prayer and seeking nothing but prayer. For every step he takes, he is raised one degree and one sin is erased for him until he enters the mosque. When he enters the mosque, he remains in prayer as long as prayer is what keeps him therein. The angels will keep invoking the blessings of Allah on you as long as you are in the place where you performed prayer, saying: 'O Allah, have mercy on him! O Allah, forgive him! O Allah, accept his repentance!' as long as you do not harm anyone therein and do not break your ablution."

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Praying in congregation is twenty-seven degrees better than praying alone."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are the ‘Ishā’ and Fajr prayers. If they were to know the virtue of them, they would come to them, even if they had to crawl. I have almost intended to order for the prayer to be established, and appoint a man to lead the people in prayer, and then I would go along with some men having bundles of firewood, to the people who are not attending the prayer and burn their houses upon them with fire."

Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever hears the prayer call and does not attend the congregational prayer, then his prayer is not valid (deficient), except if he has an excuse."

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar and Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with both of them) reported that they heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) speak on his wooden pulpit and say: "Either some people stop abandoning the Friday prayers, or Allah will, indeed, seal their hearts, and then they will be among the heedless."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are the ‘Ishā’ and Fajr prayers. If they were to know the virtue of them, they would come to them, even if they had to crawl. I have almost intended to order for the prayer to be established, and appoint a man to lead the people in prayer, and then I would go along with some men having bundles of firewood, to the people who are not attending the prayer and burn their houses upon them with fire."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No Muslim regularly attends the mosques to perform prayer and remember Allah, but Allah is delighted for him just as the family of one who was away, is delighted upon his return."