الفتح الربانی
Fath al-Rabbani
أبواب صلاة الجماعةChapters on Congregational Prayer
بَابُ فَضْلِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَبْعَدِ وَكَثْرَةِ الْخُطَا إِلَى الْمَسَاجِدِ
Chapter on the virtue of the farther mosque and taking many steps to the mosques
Hadith 2511
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: ((الْأَبْعَدُ فَالْأَبْعَدُ مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ أَفْضَلُ أَجْرًا))
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, said: Those who are farthest from the mosque, then those who are farther than them, are the most virtuous in reward and merit.
Hadith 2512
عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ جَابِرًا سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ فِي كَثْرَةِ خُطَا الرَّجُلِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ شَيْئًا؟ فَقَالَ: هَمَمْنَا أَنْ نَنْتَقِلَ مِنْ دُورِنَا إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ لِقُرْبِ الْمَسْجِدِ فَزَجَرَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ، وَقَالَ: ((لَا تُعْرُوا الْمَدِينَةَ، فَإِنَّ لَكُمْ فَضِيلَةً عَلَى مَنْ عِنْدَ الْمَسْجِدِ بِكُلِّ خَطْوَةٍ دَرَجَةٌ))
Abu Zubair says: I asked Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) if he had heard the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say anything about a person who walks more steps towards the mosque. He said: We ourselves wanted to move our houses in Madinah closer to the mosque, but the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade us and said: Do not leave the outskirts of Madinah empty; surely, for every step you take, there is a rank of virtue for you, more than those who live near the mosque.
Hadith 2513
(وَمِنْ طَرِيقٍ ثَانٍ) عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: خَلَتِ الْبِقَاعُ حَوْلَ الْمَسْجِدِ فَأَرَادَ بَنُو سَلِمَةَ أَنْ يَنْتَقِلُوا قُرْبَ الْمَسْجِدِ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ: ((إِنَّهُ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّكُمْ تُرِيدُونَ أَنْ تَنْتَقِلُوا قُرْبَ الْمَسْجِدِ؟)) قَالُوا: نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! أَرَدْنَا ذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ: ((يَا بَنِي سَلِمَةَ! دِيَارُكُمْ تُكْتَبْ آثَارُكُمْ، دِيَارُكُمْ تُكْتَبْ آثَارُكُمْ))
(Second Chain) Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) says: Some space around the mosque became vacant, so the Banu Salamah intended to move closer to the mosque. When this news reached the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), he asked them: I have heard that you want to move closer to the mosque? They said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah! We intend to do so. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: O Banu Salamah! Remain in your homes, your footsteps are recorded, remain in your homes, your footsteps are recorded.
Hadith 2514
(وَعَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ بِنَحْوِهِ وَفِيهِ) فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَكَرِهَ أَنْ تُعْرَى الْمَدِينَةُ، فَقَالَ: ((يَا بَنِي سَلِمَةَ! أَلَا تَحْتَسِبُونَ آثَارَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ؟)) قَالُوا: بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! فَأَقَامُوا
A similar hadith is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, in which the words are as follows: When this matter reached the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he disliked the outskirts of Madinah becoming deserted, he said to them: O Banu Salamah! Do you not hope for reward from Allah Almighty for the traces of your (footsteps) towards the mosque? They said: O Messenger of Allah! Why not. Then they remained in the same place.
Hadith 2515
عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ عَنْ أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: كَانَ رَجُلٌ بِالْمَدِينَةِ لَا أَعْلَمُ رَجُلًا كَانَ أَبْعَدَ مِنْهُ مَنْزِلًا أَوْ قَالَ: دَارًا مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ مِنْهُ (زَادَ فِي رِوَايَةٍ: قَالَ: فَكَانَ يَحْضُرُ الصَّلَوَاتِ كُلَّهُنَّ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ)، فَقِيلَ لَهُ: لَوِ اشْتَرَيْتَ حِمَارًا فَرَكِبْتَهُ فِي الرَّمْضَاءِ وَالظُّلُمَاتِ؟ فَقَالَ: مَا يَسُرُّنِي أَنَّ دَارِي أَوْ قَالَ مَنْزِلِي إِلَى جَنْبِ الْمَسْجِدِ، فَنُمِيَ الْحَدِيثُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ: ((مَا أَرَدْتَ بِقَوْلِكَ مَا يَسُرُّنِي أَنْ مَنْزِلِي أَوْ قَالَ دَارِي إِلَى جَنْبِ الْمَسْجِدِ؟)) قَالَ: أَرَدْتُّ أَنْ يُكْتَبَ إِقْبَالِي إِذَا أَقْبَلْتُ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ وَرُجُوعِي إِذَا رَجَعْتُ إِلَى أَهْلِي، قَالَ: ((أَعْطَاكَ اللَّهُ ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ، أَوْ أَنْطَاكَ اللَّهُ مَا احْتَسَبْتَ أَجْمَعَ))
Sayyiduna Ubayy bin Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) says: There was a man in Madinah who, to my knowledge, lived the farthest from the mosque, but he would attend all the prayers with the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Someone said to him: If you buy a donkey and ride it during intense heat and darkness, you could come more easily. But he said: I am not pleased even if my house were right next to the mosque. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) learned of all this, he asked him: You said that you would not be pleased even if your house were next to the mosque—what did you mean by that? He said: My intention is that when I come to the mosque, my coming, and when I return to my house, my returning, both be recorded. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Allah the Exalted has granted you all of that. He said: The reward you were hoping for, Allah the Exalted has granted it all to you.
