Ibn ‘Umar said that the Prophet used to go to the mosque in Quba'* every Saturday, walking and riding, and he would pray two rak'as in it. * The village outside Medina where the Prophet stayed a few days before entering Medina at the time of the Hijra. Before leaving he laid the foundations of a mosque there. Al-Qur’an; 9:108 is said to refer to this mosque. In the preceding verse reference is made to another mosque which had been built in a spirit of opposition. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The parts of the land dearest to God are its mosques, and the parts most hateful to God are its markets.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘Uthman reported God's Messenger as saying, “If anyone builds a mosque for God, God will build a house for him in paradise.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone goes out in the morning or in the evening to the mosque, God will prepare for him his food in paradise as often as he goes out in the morning or in the evening.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Musa reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The one who will receive the greatest reward for prayer is he who lives farthest away, and he who has farthest to walk and he who waits for the prayer to observe it with the imam will have a greater reward than the one who observes it and then goes to sleep.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Jabir said that the area round the mosque was vacant and that the Banu Salima wanted to move near the mosque, but when the Prophet heard of that he said to them, “I have heard that you want to move near the mosque.” They replied, “Yes, Messenger of God, that was our desire.” He said, “Banu Salima, if you keep to your present houses, your footprints will be recorded; if you keep to your present houses, your footprints will be recorded.”* * I.e. you will receive a reward for the distance you have to go to the mosque. Muslim transmitted it.

a just imam; a young man who grows up worshipping God; a man whose heart is attached to the mosque from the time he leaves it till he returns to it; two men who love one another for God's sake, meeting thus and separating thus; a man who remembers God in solitude, his eyes pouring forth tears; a man who, when accosted by a woman of rank and beauty, says, ‘I fear God’; and a man who gives alms concealing it so that his left hand does not know what his right hand bestows.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He also reported God’s Messenger as saying, “A man's prayer in company is twenty-five times as valuable as his prayer in his house and his market, for when he performs ablution, doing it well, then goes out to the mosque, having no other reason than prayer for going out, he does not take a step without being raised a degree for it and having a sin remitted for it, and when he prays the angels continue to invoke blessings on him as long as he is in his place of prayer, saying, ‘God bless him; God show mercy to him.’ And each of you continues to be engaged in prayer as long as he is waiting for the prayer.” In a version he said, “When he enters the mosque prayer holds him fast.” And he added in the invocation of the angels, “O God, forgive him, O God, turn towards him, as long as he does not do any harm in it and as long as he does not do anything unseemly in it.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

When any of you enters the mosque he should say, “O God, open to me the gates of Thy mercy, “and when he goes out he should say “O God, I ask Thee out of Thine abundance.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Qatada reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When one of you enters the mosque he should pray two rak'as before sitting down.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ka'b b. Malik said that the Prophet always came back from a journey by day in the forenoon, and when he arrived he went first to the mosque, and having prayed two rak'as in it he sat down in it. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God's Messenger as saying, “If anyone hears a man crying out in the mosque about something he has lost, he should say, ‘May God not restore it to you,’ for the mosques were not built for this.” Muslim transmitted it.

Jabir reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone eats of this offensive tree* he must not approach our mosque, for the angels are harmed by the same things as men.” * Bukhari At’ima, 49, shows the Prophet’s objection to onions and garlic. One of these may be meant here. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Anas reported God's Messenger as saying, “Spitting in the mosque is a sin which is expiated by burying the spittle.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Dharr reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The deeds of my people, good and bad, were presented before me, and I found the removal of something objectionable from the road among their good deeds, and mucus left unburied in the mosque among their evil deeds.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When one of you gets up for prayer he must not spit in front, of him, because he is holding intimate converse with God as long as he is in his place of prayer; nor must he spit towards his right, for there is an angel at his right; but he may spit towards his left or under his feet and bury it.” The version of Abu Sa'id has “under his left foot.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘A’isha told of God's Messenger as saying in his illness from which he did not recover, “God curse the Jews and Christians! They have taken the graves of their prophets as mosques.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Jundub told of his hearing the Prophet say, “Those who preceded you used to take the graves of their prophets and righteous men as mosques, but you must not take graves as mosques; I forbid you to do that.” Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Perform some of your prayer in your houses, and do not turn them into graves.”* * This is most probably a figurative expression indicating that a house in which prayer is not offered is like a grave, as God is not worshipped there. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The space between the East and the West is a qibla.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Talq b. ‘Ali said; we went out as a deputation to God’s Messenger and swore allegiance to him and prayed along with him. We told him that we had a church in our land, and we asked him for some of the leavings of the water he used for ablution. He called for water, performed ablution, rinsed his mouth, then poured it out for us into a skin vessel, and gave us the following command, “Go away, and when you come to your land break down your church, sprinkle this water on its site, and use it as a mosque." We told him that our land was distant, the heat severe, and that the water would evaporate, to which he replied, “Add some water to it, for it will only bring more good to it.” Nasa'i transmitted it.

‘A’isha said that God's Messenger ordered that a mosque be built in a residential district and that it be cleaned and perfumed. Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God's Messenger as saying, “I was not commanded to build high mosques." Ibn ‘Abbas said, “You* will certainly ornament them as the Jews and Christians did." * The verb is plural addressed by Ibn ‘Abbas to some hearers. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Anas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “One of the signs of the last hour will be that people will vie with one another about mosques. Abu Dawud, Nasa’i Darimi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

He also reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The rewards of my people were placed before me, even [for] a speck of dust a man takes out of the mosque] and the sins of my people were placed before me, and I saw no sin greater than that a man should memorise a sura or verse of the Qur’an, then forget it."* * Cf. Al-Qur’an, 20:126. Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Buraida reported God's Messenger as saying, “Announce to those who make a practice of walking to mosques during the times of darkness the good news that they will have complete light on the day of resurrection. Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted it from Sahl b. Sa'd and Anas.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When you see a man frequenting the mosque, testify that he has faith, for God says, ‘God’s mosques are visited only by those who believe in God and the last day.”* * Al-Qur'an; 9:18 Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

‘Uthman b. Mazun said, “Messenger of God, grant us permission to become eunuchs." God’s Messenger replied, “He who makes another a eunuch or becomes one himself does not belong to us; fasting serves that purpose among my people." He then said, "Grant us permission to lead the wandering life of the devotee." He replied, "The wandering life of the devotee among my people is jihad in God’s path." He said, "Grant us permission to adopt monkery.” He replied, "Monkery among my people consists of sitting in mosques waiting for the time of prayer." Baghawi transmitted it in Sharh as-sunna.

I saw my Lord in the most beautiful form, and He said, "What do the angels near My presence dispute about?" I replied," Thou knowest best.” Then He placed the palm of His hand between my shoulder-blades and I felt the coolness of it between my nipples! Then I knew what was in the heavens and the earth. And he recited, "Thus did We show Abraham the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and it was so that he might have certainty (Al-Qur’an; 6:75).’’ Darimi transmitted it in mursal form.

He asked, "Muhammad, do you know what the angels near My presence dispute about?" I replied, "Yes, about expiations, and they are remaining in the mosques after the prayers are over, walking on foot to the congregational prayers, and performing elaborate ablution in unpleasant circumstances (Cf. p. 151). Whoever does that will live and die righteously, and as far as his sin is concerned, he will be as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him." He said, "Muhammad, when you pray say, ‘O God, I ask Thee to enable me to do good deeds, abandon objectionable things, and love the poor, and when Thou intendest to test Thy servants, take me to Thyself without being led astray.'" He said, "People are raised in degree by saluting all and sundry, providing food, and praying at night when people are asleep." The wording of this tradition is as it occurs in al-Masabih, but I found it traced to ‘Abd ar-Rahman only in Sharh as-sunna.

a man who goes out to fight in God’s path, who is in God’s safe keeping till He takes his soul and brings him into paradise, or sends him home with the reward or booty he has obtained; a man who goes out to the mosque, who is in God’s safe keeping; and a man who enters his house in peace,* who is in God’s safe keeping.” * The translation above is given on the analogy of Al-Qur’an; 15:46. The phrase might, however, mean one who gives a salutation when he enters his house. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

He also reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If one goes out from his house to a stated prayer in a state of purity, his reward will be like that of the pilgrim in the sacred state; if one goes out to devotions in the forenoon, nothing else causing him to go out, his reward will be like that of him who performs the ‘umra;1 and a prayer following another with no idle talk between them will be a deed recorded in llliyun,”2 1. The little pilgrimage, consisting of the rites at the Ka'ba and the running between al-Safa and al-Marwa. 2. See Al-Qur’an, 83:18 ff. Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When you pass one of the gardens of paradise, feed there.” When asked what the gardens of paradise were he replied that they were the mosques, and when asked what the feeding consisted of, he replied, “Glory be to God; Praise be to God; there is no god but God; and God is most great.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

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 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 Thy 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 Thy abundance.” *The daughter of the Prophet 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 isnad 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.

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 Sunan and the author of Jami‘ al-usul ( Ibn al-Athir) in his work transmitted it from Hakim, but in al-Masabih 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.

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 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 mujahid 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 Shu'ab al-iman, transmitted it.

Al-Hasan reported in mursal 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 Shu'ab al-iman.

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 al-Muwatta'.

Anas said that the Prophet saw some mucus in the direction of the qibla 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 qibla, so none of you must spit in the direction of the qibla, 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.

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.