Bukhari

Hadith Commentary: By mentioning this chain of narration, the purpose of Imam Bukhari rahimahullah is to establish that Musa ibn Uqbah actually heard (had direct transmission from) Abu al-Nadr, which is explicitly stated in this narration.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
Regarding the hadith of Aisha, it is clarified in other narrations that this occurred during the month of Ramadan.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Tahajjud, Hadith: 1129)
Furthermore, on the fourth night, so many people gathered that the mosque became constricted due to them.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Jumu‘ah, Hadith: 924)
After the Fajr prayer, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam addressed the people:
“O people! Perform only those deeds which you have the strength to carry out.
Allah, exalted is He, will not withhold in His giving, but you yourselves will become weary and abandon the deed.
The most beloved deeds to Allah are those which are done consistently, even if they are few in quantity.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Libas, Hadith: 5861)
Regarding the hadith of Zayd ibn Thabit, it is further clarified in other narrations that when the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not come out to lead the people in prayer the next day, they began to say tasbihat aloud.
Some began to throw pebbles at the door, so the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam came to them in a state of anger.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Adab, Hadith: 6113)
In one narration, when the people did not hear the voice of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam the next day, they thought perhaps he was sleeping, so they began to cough loudly so that he would come out and lead them in prayer.
He said:
“I fear that, due to your enthusiasm and eagerness, the night prayer (tahajjud) may be made obligatory upon you.
If it is made obligatory, then you will not be able to maintain it.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-I‘tisam bil-Kitab wa al-Sunnah, Hadith: 7290)
(2)
The Shari‘ah has not preferred the performance of voluntary prayers (nawafil) in the mosque and obligatory prayers (fara’id) in the homes.
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would generally perform the Sunnah prayers before and after the obligatory prayers at home.
As for the Sunnah prayers of Fajr, it is not established from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that he ever performed them in the mosque.
Some narrations indicate that the reward for performing voluntary prayers at home compared to the mosque is like the reward of congregational prayer compared to solitary prayer.
There are several benefits to performing nawafil at home:
* A person is protected from showing off (riya’) and from many things that diminish the reward of prayer.
* Allah’s mercy and blessings descend upon the house in which prayer is performed.
* Allah’s angels descend in that house, and the devils flee from there.
(‘Umdat al-Qari: 4/372)
(3)
At the end of the narration, Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah has cited an additional chain of transmission.
His purpose is to establish that Musa ibn ‘Uqbah heard (had direct transmission) from Abu al-Nadr, and in the final chain, this is explicitly stated.
(Fath al-Bari: 2/280)

Hadith Commentary:
In the hadith, it is mentioned that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam became angry at an inappropriate question; this is the point of relevance to the chapter. The prayers referred to as being performed at home are voluntary (nafl) prayers. The proper place for obligatory (fard) prayers is the mosques; whoever, without a valid Shar‘i excuse, performs the obligatory prayer at home is deprived of much reward.
The Companions calling out to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, or throwing pebbles at his house to inform him, was due to their eagerness to perform the night prayer (tahajjud) behind him in congregation.
The Prophet’s command regarding the lost camel was in accordance with the environment and customs of the Arabs.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
The proper place for obligatory prayers is the mosques; apart from this, the performance of supererogatory (nafl) prayers should be done in the homes. If a person performs even the obligatory prayers at home, he is deprived of a great reward.

(2)
The noble Companions (radi Allahu anhum) desired to perform the night prayer (tahajjud) under your leadership, which is why they raised their voices and threw pebbles at the door. However, raising their voices in this manner disturbed your (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) prayer, and throwing pebbles was even more contrary to proper etiquette. For this reason, you became angry. This action of yours was from the category of enjoining good and forbidding evil (amr bil-ma‘ruf wa nahi ‘anil-munkar), so your anger was for the sake of Allah; your own self had no part in it, because you did not become angry regarding personal matters.

Hadith Commentary:
Or, [it refers to] the prayer that is performed in congregation, such as the Eid prayers, the eclipse prayer, etc., or the Tahiyyat al-Masjid (greeting of the mosque), which is specifically for honoring the mosque itself.
The relevance of this hadith to the chapter heading is that those people were not commanded to perform this prayer in the mosque, but they imposed hardship upon themselves; the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) forbade them from this.
It is thus understood that following the Sunnah is superior, and imposing hardships or restrictions upon oneself in acts of worship that go against the Sunnah is not a commendable thing.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
The mentioned incident pertains to the Tarawih prayer in the blessed month of Ramadan.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) made a small enclosure of matting in the mosque so that he could pray therein and people would not be able to see him, but the people performed the Tarawih prayer behind him in congregation for three nights.
Since it was the time of the descent of revelation and there was a risk of it being made obligatory, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) discontinued the arrangement of congregation after that.
When, after the passing of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), this apprehension was no longer present, Umar (radi Allahu anhu) arranged for the congregation of the Tarawih prayer in the mosque.

➋
The relevance of this hadith to the chapter heading is as follows: the people had not been commanded to perform the Tarawih prayer in the mosque, but they imposed this restriction upon themselves on their own accord, so the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), out of compassion for them, restrained them from it.
It is thus understood that salvation and honor lie in following the Sunnah.
It is not commendable to impose hardships and conditions upon oneself in acts of worship that are contrary to the Sunnah.

➌
It should be clear that, apart from the obligatory prayers, the Eid prayer and the eclipse prayer (Salat al-Kusuf, etc.) are also performed in the mosque because these prayers are among the symbols (sha‘a’ir) of Islam; therefore, their ruling is like that of the obligatory prayers.
Similarly, the two units (rak‘ahs) of Tahiyyat al-Masjid and the two rak‘ahs after circumambulation (tawaf) are also performed in the mosque, so these are exceptions from the general ruling mentioned in the hadith due to external evidences.
And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
(1)
Khasfah:
Date palm leaves,
Haseer:
A mat that is made from date palm leaves,
And the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) made for himself, in a protected and concealed part of the mosque, an enclosure of matting, so that he could stand inside it and perform prayer.
(2)
Tatabba’a ilayhi rijalun:
Through searching and seeking, people reached there,
And a group gathered.
Benefits and Issues:
In the narration of Zayd (radi Allahu anhu), the mention of the Prophet’s (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) Tarawih prayer is given in brief, which has already been discussed.

1447. Commentary:
➊ These prayers pertain to the night prayers (qiyam al-layl) of Ramadan, the details of which have already been mentioned previously.
➋ For men, it is preferable to perform voluntary prayers (nawafil) at home. However, for women, even the obligatory prayers (fard) are preferable to be performed at home.

1044. Commentary:
➊ This directive is addressed to men, not to women, because for them it is more virtuous to perform even the obligatory prayers at home. Although they are permitted to attend the congregation.
➋ The Sacred Mosque (Bayt al-Haram) and the Al-Aqsa Mosque (Bayt al-Maqdis) are also analogous to the Prophet’s Mosque (Masjid Nabawi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).
➌ The supererogatory prayers (nawafil) referred to here are those not specific to the mosque, such as the greeting of the mosque (tahiyyat al-masjid) and the supererogatory prayers before Jumu‘ah, etc.

1600. Commentary:

➊ In other narrations, it is explicitly mentioned that this refers to the month of Ramadan, and here, the night prayer refers to Tarawih. The fact that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) made a partition in his chamber indicates that he was in i'tikaf (spiritual retreat), otherwise he used to perform the night prayer at home. Or it is possible that, due to some constraint in the house, he set up a mat as a partition to pray in seclusion.

➋ "Lest it be made obligatory"—the obligation of Tarawih in Ramadan would not be equivalent to an addition to the five daily prayers, so the objection does not arise that after the words (la yubaddalu al-qawlu ladayya) ("My word is not changed," which Allah Ta'ala said at the time of the obligation of the five prayers on the night of Isra), there was no longer any danger of obligation, because in that statement, only the addition or reduction in the daily five prayers was negated, and, hypothetically, the obligation of Tarawih would not affect the daily prayers in any way.

➌ After the passing of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), the danger of obligation ceased to exist; therefore, the Tarawih prayer was established in the mosque as a regular congregational practice, which, from the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs until now, has continued without dispute among the Ummah and has become a matter of consensus and the practice of the Muslims. Now, no mosque should be deprived of this blessing; however, if someone wishes to perform it individually at home, that is also permissible, but it is necessary that he be able to recite more of the Qur'an in the Tarawih prayer so that the original purpose is fulfilled, and not merely to complete the count of rak'ahs.

Takhrij:
«أخرجه البخاري، الأذان، باب صلاة الليل، حديث:731، ومسلم، صلاة المسافرين، باب استحباب صلاة النافلة في بيته، حديث:781.»©Explanation:
➊ This was during the month of Ramadan when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam set aside a small, specific place for himself in the mosque.
➋ This hadith is evidence that if doing so does not cause harm or difficulty to the followers and those praying, it is permissible to designate a specific place in the mosque.
➌ The summary of the complete narration is that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to pray the night prayer alone. When the noble Companions radi Allahu anhum came to know of this, they began to pray behind him. One night, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam came out of this chamber late and said: “I have seen your condition. Pray in your homes, for apart from the obligatory prayer, a man’s prayer in his house is superior.”