Muslim

Hadith Commentary:
Vocabulary of the Hadith:

(1)
AL-MAKĀRIH:
Plural of makrah,
something disliked and unpleasant.

(2)
RIBĀT:
To restrain oneself for a particular task,
as if a person has restrained himself for obedience.
From this, it is understood that one meaning of "ribāt" is:
to make oneself steadfast in prayer.

Benefits and Issues:
RIBĀT:
The well-known meaning of ribāt is:
"guarding the borders," that is, the person who stands guard at the borders, his life is constantly at risk from the enemy,
and it is evident that this is a very magnificent task.
And being diligent in prayer is a very strong weapon for protection from the devastation of Satan, and safeguarding one’s faith from satanic attacks, in terms of its importance and objective, is even more significant than protecting the country’s borders.
And the referent of "dhālikumu" (that is for you),
can be all three actions mentioned in the hadith,
because these acts prevent the soul from the satanic path of attack,
they develop in a person the quality of self-control and mastery over desires,
therefore, the real ribāt is to make the soul steadfast in these acts.

143. Commentary:

➊ Ribaat refers to remaining stationed, armed and prepared at the border in order to frighten the enemy and protect against their attack. In the above hadith, sitting in the mosque after one prayer while waiting for the next prayer is called ribaat, because Satan is also an enemy of man.

➋ The mosque is like a secure fortress to protect oneself from Satan.

➌ By performing ablution (wudu) and proceeding towards the mosque, the effects of Satan (such as sins, etc.) fall away. Then, the previous prayer is like a weapon, while waiting for the next prayer frightens Satan and keeps one alert and protected. Therefore, this act has been given a complete resemblance to ribaat, and in terms of reward as well, it is like ribaat.

1:
Completing ablution (wudu) despite dislike means to wash the limbs fully even in severe cold;
this is extremely burdensome for one’s nature, yet the Muslim does so solely for the pleasure of Allah, and thus his reward is greater.

2:
Proximity to the mosque is beneficial in some respects, but having one’s house far from the mosque is better in that, for every step taken towards the mosque, the reward increases accordingly.

3:
That is, these three actions are, in terms of reward, like guarding the frontiers and striving in the path of Allah (jihad);
or it means that just as, due to guarding the borders, the enemy cannot infiltrate the country, similarly, by being constant in these actions, Satan cannot overpower the self (nafs).

Commentary:
The mention of "feet" indicates that coming to the mosque on foot is a greater cause of reward compared to coming by riding (on an animal or vehicle).
And Allah knows best.

Benefits:

«يَمْحُو اللهُ بِهِ الْخَطايا:» "Shall I not guide you to such deeds by which Allah the Exalted erases sins?" Qadi Iyad says: The erasure of sins is an expression for their forgiveness, and it is also possible that the sins are erased from the record of the noble scribes (Kiraman Katibin); even then, the intended meaning is the forgiveness of sins. «وَيَرْفَعُ بِهِ الدَّرَجَاتِ:» "By which ranks are elevated in Paradise." «قَالُوا بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ:» The benefit of this question and answer is that through ambiguity and clarification, the speech becomes firmly established in the hearts of the listeners. «اسباغ الوضوء:» That is, to perform ablution (wudu) completely, to wash all the limbs of ablution thoroughly, to extend the radiance of the limbs of ablution, and to wash the limbs of ablution three times each.

«عَلَى الْمَكَارِهِ:» By "makarih" is meant disliked and burdensome things, i.e., despite severe cold, and despite such illnesses and wounds in which applying water causes great pain, even then a person performs ablution for prayer. And despite a dire need and search for water, and despite striving hard to obtain it or buying water at a high price, he still makes sure to perform ablution, which is a cause of hardship for him.

«وَكَثْرَةُ الخُطَاءِ إِلَى الْمَسَاجِدِ:» "Khata" is the plural of "khutwa," and by this is meant the distance between two steps. Nawawi rahimahullah says: When the house is far from the mosque or in the case of frequent attendance at the mosque, more steps are taken towards the mosques.

«وانتِظَارُ الصَّلاةِ:» At the time of prayer or waiting for the congregational prayer.

«بَعْدَ الصَّلاةِ:» That is, after performing prayer in congregation or alone, he remains in anticipation of the next prayer, and even while being engaged in a gathering, at home, or in some occupation, his heart remains attached to and concerned for the prayer.

«فَذَلِكُمُ الرِّباط:» That is, the reward for perseverance in ablution and concern for regularity in prayer and similar acts is like that of jihad. And according to one opinion, its meaning is that these mentioned qualities and characteristics prevent a person from sins and unlawful acts.

In the commentary of Sahih Muslim, Imam Nawawi rahimahullah writes: That is, ribat (guarding) is a desirable and delightful ribat. In reality, the meaning of ribat is to restrain oneself upon something, and the one possessing these mentioned qualities is as if he restrains himself upon this righteous deed. And one opinion is that this is the best form of ribat, just as the real jihad is the jihad of the nafs (struggle against the self). And it is also possible that the mentioned method is an easy and possible form of ribat, i.e., it is one of the types of ribat. Qadi Iyad rahimahullah says: The mentioned deeds are true ribat because these deeds block the satanic paths to the soul, eliminate desires, and control whisperings, and through these righteous deeds, the party of Allah prevails over the satanic armies, and performing these deeds is the greater jihad (jihad al-akbar). [تحفة الاحوذي: 133/1، 124]

Hadith Authentication:
[وأخرجه مسلم 251، من حديث ما لك به]

Jurisprudential Points:
➊ A scholar may ask questions of his students in order to make them understand an issue.
➋ This hadith is also among the best hadiths regarding the virtues of good deeds.
➌ The meaning of complete ablution (wudu) is to perform ablution well according to the Sunnah of the Noble Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), so that no limb remains dry and no Sunnah is left out.
➍ Hardship refers to things like cold, etc.
➎ «رباط» Ribaat refers to being prepared for jihad at the borders, and likewise, preparing for prayer and waiting for the next prayer is also ribaat. And all praise is due to Allah.
➏ The farther a person walks to the mosque, the greater the reward for him.
➐ Abu Bakr ibn Abdur-Rahman (Tabi‘i) rahimahullah used to say: Whoever goes to the mosque in the morning or evening solely with the intention of going to the mosque, in order to learn or teach goodness, and then returns home, then this person is like the mujahid who returns with spoils of war after striving in the path of Allah. [الموطأ 160/1 ح 383 وسنده صحیح]
➑ Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu used to say: When any one of you prays and then sits on his prayer mat, the angels continue to supplicate for him: O Allah! Forgive him, O Allah! Have mercy on him. If he gets up from his prayer mat and goes to the mosque waiting for the next prayer, then he remains in the state of prayer. [الموطأ 161/1 ح 384 وسنده صحيح]