Building mosques and expanding them

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Qatadah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to us while we were building the mosque, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Make it (very) wide and spacious, (for soon) you will fill it (with the large number of worshippers)."
Imam Abu Dawud recorded this hadith in his Sunan in the chapter 'The building of mosques and their spaciousness', and its chain contains narrators such as Muhammad bin Dirham al-Azdi and Ka'b bin Abd al-Rahman al-Azdi.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates from his father, Sayyiduna Umar al-Faruq (may Allah be pleased with him), that he said: "Had I not heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saying, 'I wish to enlarge this qiblah of ours (that is, the Prophet's Mosque),' I would never have enlarged it."
Imam Abu Ya'la, through Imam Abu Khaythamah, also narrated this hadith in the same way through the chain of Abdullah bin Umar (al-Umari).
The narrator al-Umari states that (in fulfilment of this wish of the Prophet) Sayyiduna Umar al-Faruq (may Allah be pleased with him) enlarged the mosque by adding to it the area from the pulpit up to the maqsurah (the place of the imam).

Amr bin Maymun (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that they said: "Indeed, the mosques are the houses of Allah Almighty on the earth."
Imam Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated it in his al-Musannaf, and its chain is sahih (authentic).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that a man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and asked: "O Messenger of Allah! Which places of the earth are the worst?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I do not know," or he remained silent. Then the man asked: "Which parts of the earth are the best?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I do not know," or he remained silent. Then Sayyiduna Jibril (peace be upon him) came to him (peace and blessings be upon him), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) asked him, and he too replied: "I do not know." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then ask your Lord." He replied: "We do not ask Him about anything (of our own accord)." And such a violent trembling and shuddering came over Jibril (peace be upon him) (out of awe and fear of Allah) that, from its intensity, the blessed soul of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) almost departed. Then, when Jibril (peace be upon him) ascended (to the heavens), Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, said: "Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) asked you which places are the best, and you said, 'I do not know'?" He replied: "Yes (O Lord)." Allah Almighty said: "Then inform him that the best places are the mosques and the worst places are the markets."
Imam Ibn Hibban declared this narration sahih (authentic).