الفتح الربانی
Fath al-Rabbani
أبواب صلاة الليل والوترChapters on Night Prayer and Witr
بَابُ حُجَّةِ مَنْ قَالَ إِنَّ فِعْلَهَا فِي الْبَيْتِ أَفْضَلُ
Chapter on the Evidence of Those Who Say Performing It at Home Is Better
Hadith 2243
عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ اتَّخَذَ حُجْرَةً فِي الْمَسْجِدِ مِنْ حَصِيرٍ فَصَلَّى فِيهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَيَالِيَ حَتَّى اجْتَمَعَ إِلَيْهِ نَاسٌ ثُمَّ فَقَدُوا صَوْتَهُ فَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُ قَدْ نَامَ فَجَعَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ يَتَنَحْنَحُ لِيَخْرُجَ إِلَيْهِمْ، فَقَالَ: ((مَا زَالَ بِكُمُ الَّذِي رَأَيْتُ مِنْ صَنِيعِكُمْ حَتَّى خَشِيتُ أَنْ يُكْتَبَ عَلَيْكُمْ، وَلَوْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمْ مَا قُمْتُمْ بِهِ، فَصَلُّوا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ، فَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ صَلَاةِ الْمَرْئِ فِي بَيْتِهِ إِلَّا الْمَكْتُوبَةَ))
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Zaid bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made a small room with a mat in the mosque and prayed in it at night. When people found out, they also gathered, but then they could not hear the voice of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). They thought that he (peace and blessings be upon him) had fallen asleep, so some people started coughing so that he (peace and blessings be upon him) would come out to them. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: I am aware of what you have been doing. The real matter is that I fear this standing (in prayer) may be made obligatory upon you, and if it is made obligatory, you will not be able to maintain it. Therefore (I say that) O people! Pray in your homes. A man's prayer in his house is the best deed, except for the obligatory prayer.
Hadith 2244
عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! عَمِلْتُ اللَّيْلَةَ عَمَلًا، قَالَ: ((مَا هُوَ؟)) قَالَ: نِسْوَةٌ مَعِيَ فِي الدَّارِ قُلْنَ لِي: إِنَّكَ تَقْرَأُ وَلَا نَقْرَأُ، فَصَلِّ بِنَا، فَصَلَّيْتُ ثَمَانِيًا وَالْوِتْرَ، قَالَ: فَسَكَتَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: فَرَأَيْنَا أَنَّ سُكُوتَهُ رِضًا بِمَا كَانَ
Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from Sayyiduna Ubayy bin Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man came to the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), I performed an action last night. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: What action was that? He said: There were some women with me at home, they said to me: You recite the Qur'an and we do not, so lead us in prayer. Thus, I led them in eight rak'ahs and witr. In response, the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent. They say: We considered the silence of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as a sign of his approval.
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: أَيُّمَا أَفْضَلُ؟ الْصَّلَاةُ فِي بَيْتِي أَوِ الْصَّلَاةُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ؟ قَالَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((أَلَا تَرَى إِلَى بَيْتِي؟ مَا أَقْرَبَهُ مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ! فَلَأَنْ أُصَلِّيَ فِي بَيْتِي أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أُصَلِّيَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ، إِلَّا أَنْ تَكُونَ صَلَاةً مَكْتُوبَةً)) (سنن ابن ماجة: 1378)
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him) says that I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): Is it better for me to pray at home or in the mosque? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Do you not see my house? It is very close to the mosque, but still, praying at home is more beloved to me than praying in the mosque, except for the obligatory prayer (which should be performed in the mosque).
