The Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer

"‏ مَثَلُ الصَّلَوَاتِ الْخَمْسِ كَمَثَلِ نَهَرٍ جَارٍ غَمْرٍ عَلَى بَابِ أَحَدِكُمْ يَغْتَسِلُ مِنْهُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ خَمْسَ مَرَّاتٍ ‏"

The similitude of five prayers is like an overflowing river passing by the gate of one of you in which he washes five times daily Hasan said: No filthiness can remain on him.

"‏ مَنْ غَدَا إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ أَوْ رَاحَ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ نُزُلاً كُلَّمَا غَدَا أَوْ رَاحَ ‏"

He who went towards the mosque in the morning or evening, Allah would arrange a feast for him morning or evening in Paradise.

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ يُونُسَ، حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا سِمَاكٌ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، - وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ - قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو خَيْثَمَةَ، عَنْ سِمَاكِ بْنِ حَرْبٍ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لِجَابِرِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ أَكُنْتَ تُجَالِسُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ نَعَمْ كَثِيرًا كَانَ لاَ يَقُومُ مِنْ مُصَلاَّهُ الَّذِي يُصَلِّي فِيهِ الصُّبْحَ أَوِ الْغَدَاةَ حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ فَإِذَا طَلَعَتِ الشَّمْسُ قَامَ وَكَانُوا يَتَحَدَّثُونَ فَيَأْخُذُونَ فِي أَمْرِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَيَضْحَكُونَ وَيَتَبَسَّمُ ‏.‏

I said to Jabir b. Samura: Did you sit in the company of the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him)? He said: Yes, very often. He (the Holy Prophet) used to sit at the place where he observed the morning or dawn prayer till the sun rose or when it had risen; he would stand, and they (his Companions) would talk about matters (pertaining to the days) of ignorance, and they would laugh (on these matters) while (the Holy Prophet) only smiled.

وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ، عَنْ زَكَرِيَّاءَ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنْ سِمَاكٍ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ إِذَا صَلَّى الْفَجْرَ جَلَسَ فِي مُصَلاَّهُ حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ حَسَنًا ‏.‏

Simak narrated on the authority of Jabir b. Samura that when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed the dawn prayer, he sat at the place of worship till the sun had risen enough.

وَحَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الأَحْوَصِ، ح قَالَ وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، وَابْنُ، بَشَّارٍ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنْ سِمَاكٍ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ ‏.‏ وَلَمْ يَقُولاَ حَسَنًا ‏.‏

This hadith has been narrated by Simak with the same chain of transmitters, but no mention has been made of, enough".

"‏ أَحَبُّ الْبِلاَدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَسَاجِدُهَا وَأَبْغَضُ الْبِلاَدِ إِلَى اللَّهِ أَسْوَاقُهَا ‏"

The parts of land dearest to Allah are its mosques, and the parts most hateful to Allah are markets.

"‏ إِذَا كَانُوا ثَلاَثَةً فَلْيَؤُمَّهُمْ أَحَدُهُمْ وَأَحَقُّهُمْ بِالإِمَامَةِ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ ‏"

When there are three persons, one of them should lead them. The one among them most worthy to act as Imam is one who is best versed in the Qur'an.

وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو خَالِدٍ الأَحْمَرُ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي عَرُوبَةَ، ح وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو غَسَّانَ الْمِسْمَعِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذٌ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ - حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي كُلُّهُمْ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ مِثْلَهُ ‏.‏

A hadith like this has been narrated by Qatida with the same chain of transmitters.

وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا سَالِمُ بْنُ نُوحٍ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا حَسَنُ بْنُ عِيسَى، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، جَمِيعًا عَنِ الْجُرَيْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِمِثْلِهِ ‏.‏

This hadith has been narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri by another chain of transmitters.

"‏ يَؤُمُّ الْقَوْمَ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ لِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي الْقِرَاءَةِ سَوَاءً فَأَعْلَمُهُمْ بِالسُّنَّةِ فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي السُّنَّةِ سَوَاءً فَأَقْدَمُهُمْ هِجْرَةً فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي الْهِجْرَةِ سَوَاءً فَأَقْدَمُهُمْ سِلْمًا وَلاَ يَؤُمَّنَّ الرَّجُلُ الرَّجُلَ فِي سُلْطَانِهِ وَلاَ يَقْعُدْ فِي بَيْتِهِ عَلَى تَكْرِمَتِهِ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ ‏"

The one who is most versed in Allah's Book should act as Imam for the people, but If they are equally versed in reciting it, then the one who has most knowledge regarding Sunnah if they are equal regarding the Sunnah, then the earliest one to emigrate; it they emigrated at the same time, then the earliest one to embrace Islam. No man must lead another in prayer where (the latter) has authority, or sit in his place of honour in his house, without his permission. Ashajj in his narration used the word," age" in place of" Islam".