Construction of mosques and ensuring their cleanliness and purity
➊ It is narrated from Hazrat Usman bin Affan (RA) that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
من بنى لله مسجدا بنى الله له مثله فى الجنة
“Whoever builds a mosque for the sake of Allah, Allah will build for him a similar house in Paradise.”
➋ It is narrated from Hazrat Aisha (RA) that:
امر رسول الله ببناء المساجد فى الدوروأن تنظف وتطيب
“The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم commanded the construction of mosques in neighborhoods and to keep them pure and fragrant.”
➌ Hazrat Samurah (RA) wrote in a letter that:
فإن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يأمرنا بالمساجد أن نضعها فى دورنا و نصلح صنعتها و نطهرها
“The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم used to command us to build mosques in neighborhoods, to improve their construction, and to keep them pure.”
Imam San’ani (RA) states that the command to build mosques in this hadith is recommended (mustahabb) because the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said that the whole earth has been made pure and a mosque for me, so whoever finds a place to pray:
فليصل حيث أدركنه
“Let him pray there where he finds it.”
Mosques are Allah’s favorite places
It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
احب البلاد إلى الله مساجدها
“The most beloved places to Allah Almighty are the mosques.”
Decoration and beautification of mosques
And it is not permissible or allowed to make them a cause of pride and ostentation.
➊ It is narrated from Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
ما أمرت بتشييد المساجد
“I have not been commanded to beautify the mosques.”
Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
لتز خرفنها كما زخرفتها اليهود والنصارى
“You will surely beautify them just as the Jews and Christians beautified them.”
➋ It is narrated from Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
لا تقوم الساعة حتى يتبـاهـي الـنـاس فـي المساجد
“The Day of Judgment will not come until people take pride in the construction of mosques.”
During the era of the Prophethood and the Rightly Guided Caliphate, this was the condition of the mosques. Caliph Walid bin Abdul Malik was the first person who had beautification and decoration work done in the Prophet’s Mosque. Since Walid was a ruler, the scholars were forced to remain silent.
It is forbidden to walk quickly towards the mosques
It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) that the Prophet (PBUH) said:
إذا سمعتم الإقامة فامشوا إلى الصلاة وعليكم بالسكينة والوقار ولا تسرعوا فما أدركتم فصلوا وما فاتكم فأتموا
“When you hear the Iqamah, come to the prayer in such a way that you are calm and dignified and do not hurry. Pray as much of the prayer as you can, and complete what remains later.”
Although in the mentioned hadith the prohibition is linked with hearing the Iqamah, it is also forbidden to come quickly towards the mosques before the Iqamah, as in another hadith:
إذا أتيتم الصلاة فعليكم بالسكينة
“When you come for prayer, come with calmness and tranquility.”
The restriction of Iqamah in the first hadith is only because generally this is what causes a person to hurry.
It is forbidden to come to the mosque after eating raw garlic and onions
It is narrated from Hazrat Jabir رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
من اكل نومــا أو بـصــلا فليعتزلنا أو ليعتزل مسجدنا وليقعد فى بيته
“Whoever eats raw garlic or onion should keep away from us or (he said) keep away from our mosque and stay in his house.”
Supplication for entering the mosque
➊ أعُوذُ بِاللهِ الْعَظِيمِ وَبِوَجْهِهِ الْكَرِيمِ وَسُلْطَانِهِ الْقَدِيمِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّحِيمِ
➋ بِسْمِ اللهِ وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ
➌ اللهُمَّ افْتَحُ لِى اَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ
Supplication for leaving the mosque
بِسْمِ اللهِ وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّى أَسْئلْكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ۔
اللَّهُمَّ أَعْصِمُنِي مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّحِيمِ
It is necessary to perform two rak’ahs before sitting in the mosque
It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Qatada (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
إذا دخل أحدكم المسجد فلا يجلس حتى يصلي ركعتين
“When any one of you enters the mosque, he should not sit until he has prayed two rak’ahs.”
Further details on this issue will come later in “باب صلاة التطوع“.
Announcing lost items in the mosque is not permissible
It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
مس سمع رجــلا يـنـشـد ضــالـة فى المسجد فليقل: لا ردها الله عليك فإن المساجد لم تين لهذا
“Whoever hears a person announcing his lost item in the mosque, let him say: May Allah not return that item to you, for mosques were not built for this purpose.”
Buying and selling is prohibited in the mosque
It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: When you see a person buying and selling in the mosque, tell him:
لا أربح الله تحارتك
“May Allah not bless your trade with profit.”
Reciting poetry in the mosque that is not un-Islamic is permissible.
It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by Hazrat Hassan (may Allah be pleased with him): ينـشـد فـــي المسجد “He was reciting poetry in the mosque.” Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) looked at him sternly. Upon this, Hazrat Hassan (may Allah be pleased with him) said: قد كنت أنشد فيه و فيه من هو خير منك “I used to recite poetry in the mosque even when the one who was superior to you (i.e., the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him) was present in the mosque.”
It is permissible to lie down in the mosque
Hazrat Ibad bin Tamim (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from his uncle that:
أنه رأى رسول الله مستلقيا فى المسجد واضعا بن إحدى رجليه على الأخرى
“Indeed, they saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) lying down in the mosque with one leg over the other.”
Sleeping in the mosque is permissible
Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) used to sleep in the mosque, and in one narration, the Companions say:
كنا فى زمن رسول الله صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ننام فى المسجد و نقيل فيه ونحن شاب
“We used to sleep and take naps in the mosque during the time of the Prophet, and we were young.”
Setting up a tent for a sick person in the mosque
Imam Shawkani (may Allah have mercy on him) states that it is permissible to do so when necessary.
As narrated from Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), on the day of the Battle of the Trench, Hazrat Saad (may Allah be pleased with him) was wounded:
فضرب عليه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم خيمة فى المسجد
“The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had a tent set up for him in the mosque,” so that he could be cared for closely.
A woman spending the night in the mosque
A woman can also spend the night in the mosque provided there is no danger of fitnah (temptation) or disorder.
As narrated from Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):
ان وليدة سوداء كان لها خباء فى المسجد
“A black-colored girl had a tent in the mosque.” She used to come to me to talk.
Establishing Qisas (retribution) and Hudood (Islamic punishments) in mosques is forbidden.
Imam Shawkani (may Allah have mercy on him) and Imam San’ani (may Allah have mercy on him) hold the same view.
It is narrated from Hazrat Hakim bin Hizam (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
لا تقام الحدود فى المساجد ولا يستقاد فيها
“Neither hudud punishments nor qisas should be carried out in mosques.”
Spitting in the mosque is a sin.
➊ It is narrated from Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
البصاق فى المسجد خطيئة وكفارتها دفنها
“Spitting in the mosque is a sin, and its expiation is to bury the spit.”
➋ It is narrated from Hazrat Abdullah bin Shakheer (may Allah be pleased with him) that I prayed with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him):
فرأيته يتنخع فدلكها بنعله اليسري
“So I saw him clearing his throat, then he wiped it off with his left shoe.”
(Shawkani) Doing this is correct when nothing is spread in the mosque, but if mats (carpets) or similar things are spread in the mosque so that it is not possible to bury the spit, which is the expiation for spitting, then leaving the spit without wiping it off will be a sin for which no expiation has been given.
It is permissible to demonstrate military training and war exercises in the mosque.
It is narrated from Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) how he acted as a screen for me:
وانا أنظر إلى الحبشة يلعبون فى المسجد
“And I was watching that (war) game of the Abyssinians which they were playing in the mosque.”
In the narration of Sahih Muslim, it is mentioned:
يلعبون بحرابهم فى مسجد رسول الله
“They were playing with spears in the Prophet’s Mosque.”
And in a narration from Sahih Bukhari, these words are mentioned:
وكان يوم عيد يلعب السودان بالدرق والحراب
“Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said that on the day of Eid, some companions from Sudan were playing with shields and spears.”
Eating in the mosque is permissible
It is narrated from Hazrat Abdullah bin Harith (RA) that:
كنا نأكل على عهد رسول الله فى المسجد الخبز و اللحم
“We used to eat bread and meat in the mosque during the time of the Prophet.”
A polytheist may enter the mosque in case of necessity.
It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sent a small detachment in a certain direction:
فجاءت برجل تربطوه بسارية من سواري المسجد
“These people captured a man (Hazrat Thumama bin Uthal, may Allah be pleased with him, who was still a polytheist at that time) and brought him to the presence of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and this prisoner was tied to one of the pillars of the mosque.”
The fact that the Prophet (peace be upon him) stationed his delegation of Thaqif (the polytheists) inside the mosque is also evidence of this.
Leaving the mosque after the Adhan
Except for a necessary need, it is not permissible to do so, as narrated from Hazrat Abu Sha’tha رضي الله عنه that a man left the mosque after the Asr Adhan, then Hazrat Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه said:
اما هذا فقد عصى أبا القاسم
“He has disobeyed Abu al-Qasim (i.e., Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم).”
In a Marfu’ narration from Hazrat Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه, these words are also present:
إذا كنتم فى المسجد فنودي الصلاة فلا يخرج أحدكم حتى يصلى
“When you are in the mosque and the Adhan for prayer is called, none of you should go out before praying.”
Waiting for the prayer in the mosque is itself counted as prayer.
It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
لا يزال أحدكم فى الصلاة ما دامت الصلاة تحبسه لا يمنعه أن ينقلب إلى أهله إلا الصلاة
“One of you remains in prayer as long as the prayer holds him back, meaning that only the prayer prevents him from going to his family.”
Permissibility of permissible talk and laughter in the mosque
It is permissible and there is no harm in it.
As mentioned in the hadith regarding the companions:
كانوا يتحدثون فياخذون فى أمر الجاهلية فيضحكون و يتبسم
“The noble companions used to talk, engage in acts of ignorance, and laugh, but the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم would smile at it.”
It is permissible to enter the Kaaba and perform prayer.
It is narrated from Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), Hazrat Usama bin Zaid, Hazrat Bilal, and Hazrat Uthman bin Talha (may Allah be pleased with them) entered the House of Allah and closed the door. When they opened the door, I was the first to enter and met Hazrat Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked him: هل صلى فيه رسول الله “Did the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) pray in it?” He replied: نعم ، بين العمودين اليمانيين “Yes, between the two Yemeni pillars.”
It should be noted that only voluntary (Nafl) prayers can be performed inside the Kaaba, but Imam Shafi’i (may Allah have mercy on him) and Imam Abu Hanifa (may Allah have mercy on him) consider obligatory prayers permissible there because it is a mosque.
Building mosques between graves
If someone builds a mosque between graves in a cemetery, its ruling is the same as that of a grave. It is narrated from Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that:
كان يكره أن يبنى مسجد فى وسط القبور
“Building a mosque among graves was disliked.”
Travel is permissible only for the purpose of visiting three mosques
It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
لا تشد الرحال إلا إلى ثلاثة مساجد : المسجد الحرام و مسجد الرسول، ومسجد الأقصى
“Travel should be undertaken only for three mosques: Masjid al-Haram, Masjid an-Nabawi, and Masjid al-Aqsa.”
