Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … To deduce from these two hadiths the permissibility of building mosques within homes is questionable. Although the word "dar" has also been interpreted to mean "house," in these hadiths, "dar" refers to a neighborhood or tribe. The commentator of Abu Dawud, Allamah Azimabadi rahimahullah, says: Baghawi stated in Sharh al-Sunnah: By (dūr or diyār), the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam meant those neighborhoods in which there are houses, as is indicated by the statement of Allah, the Exalted: {سَأُرِیْکُمْ دَارَ الْفَاسِقِیْنَ}. The place where the people of a tribe would gather, the Arabs would call it "dar." Imam Sufyan said: By "dūr" is meant tribes, i.e., mosques should be constructed within the tribes. … … The wisdom behind this command of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is that there should be a mosque in every neighborhood for the people of that neighborhood, so that they may easily perform prayer there, because at times it becomes difficult to reach the mosque of another neighborhood, and in this way, people are deprived of the reward of the mosque and the congregation. (Awn al-Ma‘bud: 1/249)