Mishkat al-Masabih

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 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.

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 iqama 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 Thy 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 Thy 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 Thee for power to do good things and abandon objectionable things, for love towards the poor, that Thou shouldest forgive me and show mercy to me, and that when Thou intendest to test any people Thou wilt take me to Thyself without being led astray. And I ask for Thy love, the love of those who love Thee, and a love of doing things which will bring me near to Thy 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 hasan sahih tradition. I asked Muhammad b. Isma'il (Al-Bukhari) about this tradition, and he said it is a sahih 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 mursal form.

Mu'adh b. Jabal said that the Prophet used to like to pray in al-hitan*. One of its transmitters says that it means gardens. * I have given the Arabic word because it is explained in the text. Why it should need to be explained is not clear. Tirmidhi transmitted it and said, “This is a gharib tradition which we know only among the traditions of al-Hasan b. Abu Ja'far whom Yahya b. Sa'id and others have declared to be weak.”

Anas b. Malik reported God’s Messenger as saying, “A man’s prayer in his house is equivalent to a single observance of prayer, his prayer in a tribal mosque is equivalent to twenty-five, his prayer in a mosque in which the Friday prayer is observed is equivalent to five hundred, his prayer in the Aqsa mosque is equivalent to fifty thousand, his prayer in my mosque is equivalent to fifty thousand, and his prayer in the sacred mosque (the Ka’ba) is equivalent to a hundred thousand.” Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Abu Dharr said that he asked God’s Messenger which mosque was set up first in the earth and was told that it was the sacred mosque. He asked which came next and was told that it was the Aqsa mosque. He asked how long a space of time separated their building and the Prophet told him it was forty years, adding, “Then the earth is a mosque for you, so pray wherever you are at the time of prayer.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

“Umar b. Abu Salama said that he saw God’s Messenger praying in Umm Salama’s house girded with a single garment, placing its two ends over his shoulders.* * This is explained as meaning that the ends were each over a shoulder and under the other armpit and tied over the chest. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “None of you must pray in a single garment of which no part comes over his shoulders.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He said that he heard God’s Messenger say, “If anyone prays in a single garment he should cross the two ends.” Bukhari transmitted it.

‘A’isha said that God’s Messenger prayed in a woollen garment of hers with markings, and he gave a look at the markings. When he had finished he said, “Take this woollen garment of mine to Abu Jahm and bring me Abu Jahm’s Anbijani* garment, for it has distracted me just now from my prayer.” * A type of garment from the Syrian town of Manbij. The word in the text is anbijaniya. Manbijaniya is perhaps more common. See Lane, Lexicon, p. 2755 Pt. III (Bukhari and Muslim.) In a version by Bukhari he said, “I was looking at its markings while I was engaged in prayer, and I am afraid lest it may beguile me.”

Anas said that ‘A’isha had a figured curtain with which she secluded the side of her house, but the Prophet said to her, “Remove this figured curtain of yours from us, for its pictures keep interfering with my prayer.” Bukhari transmitted it.

‘Uqba b. ‘Amir said that God’s Messenger was presented with a silk gown which he put on and wore while praying. Then when he withdrew he pulled it off vigorously as though he disapproved of it, saying, “This is not fitting for the pious.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Salama b. al-Akwa‘said that he told God’s Messenger he was a man who went out hunting, and asked whether he might pray in a single shirt. He replied, “Yes, but fasten it, even if it should be with a thorn.” Abu Dawud transmitted it and Nasa’i transmitted something similar.

Abu Huraira said that while a man was praying letting his lower garment trail, God’s Messenger said to him, “Go and perform ablution.” After he had gone to perform ablution and returned a man asked God’s Messenger why he had ordered him to perform ablution, and he said “He was praying with his lower garment trailing, and God does not accept the prayer of a man who lets his lower garment trail.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘A’isha reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The prayer of a woman who has reached puberty is not accepted unless she is wearing a veil.”* * A veil (khimar) covering the head and the breasts. Cf. Al-Quran; 24:31. Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Umm Salama said that she asked God's Messenger whether a woman might pray in a shift and veil without wearing a lower garment. He replied, “If the shift is ample and covers the surface of her feet.” Abu Dawud transmitted it and he mentioned a number who did not trace it beyond Umm Salama.

Abu Huraira said that God’s Messenger forbade trailing garments during prayer and that a man should cover his mouth. Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Shaddad b. Aus reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Act differently from the Jews, for they do not pray in their sandals or their shoes.”* * Khuff (pl. khifaf), an article of footwear which came up above the ankle. Traditions tell that the Prophet allowed pilgrims to wear the khuff only when unable to procure sandals, but said they must be cut to come below the ankle. Cf. Bukhari, Hajj, 21, 23; Libas, 8, 4, 15, 73. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

While God’s Messenger was leading his companions in prayer he took off his sandals and laid them at his left side; so when the people saw that, they removed their sandals. When he had finished his prayer he asked, "What made you remove your sandals? They replied, “We saw you remove yours, so we removed ours.” God’s Messenger then said, “Gabriel came to me and informed me that there was filth on them. When any of you comes to the mosque he should examine, and if he sees filth on his sandals he should wipe it off and pray in them.” Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When any of you prays he should not place his sandals at his right or at his left so as to be at the right of someone else, unless no one is at his left, but should place them between his feet.” A version has, “or pray with them on.” Abu Dawud transmitted it and Ibn Majah transmitted something to the same effect.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said, “I visited the Prophet and saw him praying on a reed mat on which he was prostrating himself.” He said, “And I saw him praying in a single garment with part over his shoulder.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father's authority, said that his grandfather declared he had seen God’s Messenger praying both barefoot and wearing sandals. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Muhammad b. al-Munkadir said that Jabir led them in prayer in lower garment which he had tied at the nape of his neck, his clothes being placed on the clothes-stand. Someone said to him, “You are praying in a single garment.” He replied, “I did that only that a fool like you might see me. Which of us had two garments in the time of God’s Messenger?” Bukhari transmitted it.

Ubayy b. Ka'b said, “Prayer in a single garment was a practice we followed along with God’s Messenger, and no blame was cast on us.” Ibn Mas'ud said, “That was only when clothing was scarce, but when God enlarged our circumstances prayer in two garments became purer.” Ahmad transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar said that the Prophet would go out in the morning* to the place of prayer with a staff in front of him which was carried and set up in front of him in the place of prayer, and he would pray in its direction. * i.e. on the day of the 'Id. Bukhari transmitted it.