He said, “We used to receive command to make a supplication when the call to the sunset prayer was being made.” Baihaqi transmitted it in ad-Da'awal al-kabir.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Bilal summons to prayer when it is still night, so eat and drink till Ibn Umm Maktum makes the summons.” He added that Ibn Umm Maktum was a blind man who did not make the summons till someone said to him, “The morning has come, the morning has come.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Samura b. Jundub reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Do not let Bilal’s adhan or the false dawn prevent you from taking your morning meal [in Ramadan], but only the dawn which is widely spread in the horizon.” Muslim transmitted it, but the wording is Tirmidhi’s.

Malik b. al-Huwairith said that he and a cousin of his came to the Prophet, who said, “When you two are on a journey, you should call the adhan and repeat the iqama, then the older of you should act as imam.” This is how Bukhari transmitted it.

He also told of God's Messenger saying to them, “Pray as you have seen me prayer, and when the time for prayer comes one of you should call the adhan for you and the oldest of you should act as imam.”* * In this tradition the plural is used throughout; in the preceding the dual is used, two persons being referred to. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira said that when God’s Messenger returned from the expedition to Khaibar,¹ he travelled one night and stopped for rest only when he became sleepy. He told Bilal to remain on guard during the night, and he prayed as much as he could while God’s Messenger and his companions slept. When the time for dawn approached Bilal leaned on his camel facing in the direction from which the dawn should appear; but he was overcome by sleep while he was leaning on his camel, and neither God’s Messenger nor Bilal awoke, nor did any of his companions till the sun shone on them. God's Messenger was the first of them to awake, and being startled he called to Bilal, who said "He who took away my soul is the One who took away yours."² He said, "Lead the beasts on,” and when they had done so for some distance, God’s Messenger performed ablution, gave orders to Bilal who pronounced the iqama, and then led them in the Morning Prayer. When he finished the prayer he said, "If anyone forgets prayer he should say it when he remembers it, for God has said, ‘And observe the prayer for remembrance of me.’”³ 1. In 7 AH. 2. This is probably to be connected with the thought in the Qur’an, 39:42, which speaks of God taking the souls of people during their sleep. 3. Al-Qur’an; 20:14 Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Qatada reported God’s Messenger as saying, "When the iqama is pronounced, do not get up till you see I have come out.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, "When the iqama has been pronounced for prayer, do not go running to it, but go walking in tranquility, and pray what you are in time for and complete what you have missed.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) A version by Muslim has, "for when one of you is making for prayer he is engaged in prayer.”

Zaid b. Aslam said that God's Messenger stopped for rest one night on the road to Mecca and made Bilal responsible for wakening them for prayer; but Bilal slept and so did they all, awakening only after sunrise. The people were startled when they awoke, and God’s Messenger ordered them to mount and get out of that wadi, saying, "This is a wadi inhabited by a devil.” So they mounted, and when they had gone out of that wadi God’s Messenger ordered them to dismount and perform ablution, and having ordered Bilal to summon the people to prayer, or pronounce the iqama, he led the people in prayer and afterwards departed. He had noticed some of their dismay, so he said, "You people must realise that God took our spirits, and if He had wished He would have returned them to us at another time than this; so if anyone of you sleeps beyond the time for prayer, or forgets it, then has recourse to it, he should observe it as he has been in the habit of doing at its proper time.” God’s Messenger then turned to Abu Bakr as-Siddiq and said, “The devil came to Bilal while he was standing engaged in prayer, and making him lie down, he kept soothing him as a child is soothed till he fell asleep.” He then summoned Bilal who told him something similar to what he had just told Abu Bakr, whereupon Abu Bakr said. “I testify that you are God’s Messenger.” Malik transmitted it in mursal form.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Two characteristics are suspended on the necks of those who call the adhan for the Muslims, their fasting and their prayer.” Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas said that when the Prophet entered the House (the Ka’ba) he made supplications in all sides of it, but did not perform salat till he had come out. When he came out he prayed two rak'as facing the Ka'ba and said, “This is the qibla.” Bukhari transmitted it and Muslim transmitted it from Ibn ‘Abbas from Usama b. Zaid.

God's Messenger entered the Ka'ba with Usama b. Zaid, ‘Uthman b. Talha al-Hajabi, and Bilal b. Rabah, and locking it behind him, he remained inside. I asked Bilal when he came out what God's Messenger had done, and he said, “He took up a position with one pillar on his left, two on his right, and three behind him (the House at that time having six pillars), then performed salat.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “One prayer in this mosque of mine (i.e. the mosque in Medina) is better than a thousand elsewhere, except the sacred mosque.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

the sacred mosque, the Aqsa mosque, and this mosque of mine.”* * These are the only mosques to which long journeys may be made purely for the purpose of praying in them. The sacred mosque means the Ka'ba. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God's Messenger as saying, “The space between my house and my pulpit is one of the gardens of paradise, and my pulpit is upon my tank.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

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.